Riverside B. 74
Ridgewood 34
Riverside-Brookfield girls basketball coach Larry Rocco is fully aware that a basketball season is a marathon not a sprint. Big picture perspective aside, the veteran coach is pleased with the Bulldogs’ fast start of eight straight wins thus far.
The Bulldogs (8-0, 3-0 Metro Suburban Conference) routed Ridgewood 74-34 on Saturday as Jessie Hutchens scored a game-high 20 points and Rachel Buccieri contributed 14 points, seven assists and three steals. Riverside-Brookfield ambushed the Rebels with a 24-9 run in the first quarter and never looked back in extending its unblemished record.
“Jessie really came through for us,” Buccieri said. “We passed the ball well and got our fast break going. We were able to get our second string in the game which was good.”
The Bulldogs’ talented tandem of post players Fallon Ryan (9 points, 3 rebounds) and Shaquita Slater (4 points, 6 rebounds) controlled the paint, while Anna Tess brought firepower off the aforementioned bench with 10 points and four steals.
“I thought we had a real good game,” Rocco said. “We did a nice job of moving the basketball and getting it to the open player. We did a nice job defensively, too.”
Limiting Ridgewood’s primary scorer, Melissa Vitale, to 15 points, the Bulldogs exploded for 25 points of their own in the third quarter to seize a commanding 63-26 lead.
“Defensively, we played a two-three zone and didn’t change much out of it,” Rocco added. “We wanted to stay close to Vitale. She had 15 [points], but for the most part our kids did a nice job of containing her.”
For RB’s Metro Suburban Conference opponents, it’s already apparent that containing the Bulldogs’ bid for a repeat championship will be difficult at best. So far, the Bulldogs have served notice of their title aspirations with three comfortable victories in conference action.
Buccieri, the reigning conference MVP, certainly hopes the team’s winning streak continues and another championship is in the cards.
“I sure hope so,” said Buccieri. “We have been practicing hard and playing together. Being [8-0] is not so bad.”
Rocco credits Buccieri’s efficient play at point guard as an integral component to the success of his team. The senior guard has already dished out 34 assists, nearly doubling her total from last season. Forward Regan Riley has pulled down 7.5 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs.
“We’re doing a good job, however we are moving into the tougher part of our schedule,” Rocco said. “Things can change quickly, and there’s still a long way to go.”
With the upcoming gauntlet of challenging games, Rocco is optimistic that shooting guard Molly McCloskey may return from knee surgery around Christmas.
“The surgery Molly had [which included shaving some of the meniscus] was the best case scenario it could have been,” Rocco said. “She looks like a kid who never had the surgery; it’s amazing.”
The Bulldogs return to action against Westmont on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) for a non-conference game.