The intensity on the defensive end was the difference maker as the Three Rivers Lady Raiders rode high to another victory.
The No. 6 ranked Lady Raiders hosted rival Moberly Area Community College Wednesday night in a Region 16 matchup. The Lady Raiders didn't waste much time building a strong lead, which carried over for most of the game as they landed an easy 78-44 win.
The Lady Raiders improved to 15-2 on the season as they picked up their seventh straight win.
Head coach Alex Wiggs said anytime his team can pick up a win over a region opponent, it's a good day for the Lady Raiders.
"For us to get a big win over a good team such as Moberly and hold them to 44 points, you got to be happy about it," Wiggs said. "We can hang our hat on defense because we played really well. It took us a while to get going, and that's probably because we've only had one game a week.
"We've been practicing every day, and they're tired of beating up on each other. It's just all a part of that grind. I thought offensively, we did well, and our execution in the fourth quarter was really good for us."
After snagging a road win over Crowder and moving up one slot in the latest poll of the NJCAA national rankings, the Lady Raiders entered the contest with a lot of momentum.
Da'Kariya Jackson, who's leading the Lady Raiders with 10 points a game, kicked off with the first basket of the game with a 3-pointer from the wing to set the tone. After landing a quick steal, Laylah Reese connected with a swift layup to give the Lady Raiders a 9-0 lead, which triggered a timeout from Moberly.
The Lady Raiders relied heavily on high-pressured man-to-man defense, removing any path to the rim for Moberly. While holding a commanding lead in the second quarter, the Lady Raiders would go on a run to extend the margin and go into the half leading 39-18. Reese would provide a solid spark to the Lady Raiders' offense off the bench as she would finish the first half with 12 points.
By the fourth, the Lady Raiders notched in enough baskets for a comfortable lead. They stayed a nice flow for the remainder of the contest to land their first Region 16 win of the season.
Reece led the Lady Raiders with 16 points and five rebounds, while Jackson added 14 points, five assists, three blocks and four steals and Jasmine Davis chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds and four steals. Kamille Brown had nine points, Kaleigh Thompson had eight and Alexia Weaver had seven.
Though the Lady Raiders are known for being explosive offensively, averaging 82 points against their opponents, Wiggs wanted to put more emphasis on defense as they gear up for tougher competition.
"Every time we step on the floor, we know that defense is a top priority," Wiggs said. "Our game plan is to keep the ball in front of us, close out high, and not allow them to the middle of the floor, which we did a good job of doing in the first half. Though the defense was good, we weren't executing off those turnovers. The aggression picked up by the fourth quarter, and then we started converting defense into offense, which is something I would like to see more consistently."
Wiggs said they must remain locked in now that the team has approached regional play. He said as they get ready for their next opponent, he wants the team to mentally prepare as he knows State Fair will be looking to defend their home court.
The Lady Raiders will hit the road on Saturday to play State Fair Community College at 5:30 p.m.
D'Courtland Christian - Daily American Republic