The Raiders knew they would be in for a long night against nationally ranked Moberly Area Community College on Wednesday night. However, the Raiders were able to maintain their resolve and grit, securing a 70-67 win over the Greyhounds.
"This is a rivalry game, and the players treated it as such," Raiders head coach Robert Kirby said with a smile. "They also saw some things that were said before the game that served as extra motivation."
Matt Hampton scored 18 points to lead the Raiders, while teammates Antonio Williams scored 14 and 11 points, respectively. Williams also snagged six rebounds.
Freshman point guard Drew Ward stepped up by scoring six points and dishing out eight assists.
MACC was led by Caleb Estes and Lavonta Ivery
With the win, Three Rivers improved to 13-5 on the season, while dropping the Greyhounds to 16-2.
The first half was a sluggish one for both teams, as offensive efficiency proved to be lacking. Both teams put up strong defensive first halves, particularly MACC.
The Greyhounds shot just 14 percent from the floor during the first half, and connected on only one of 12 attempts from long distance. However, due to free throws and 11 turnovers from the Raiders in the first half, the Greyhounds managed to linger around and trail by only 2 at intermission, 27-25.
"11 turnovers for us has been uncharacteristic in these last couple of ball games," Kirby said. "We settled down in the second half and got more efficient offense from our guys."
Both teams steadily improved offensively in the second half, as the game turned into a back-and-forth outing. The Greyhounds took their first lead of the game in the early portion of the second half, but Three Rivers wasn't flustered; instead, they stayed within striking distance and grabbed the lead late behind several clutch baskets from Fleming and Hampton. Kirby complimented the pair for their performances in the second half.
"Both Matt and Tristin made key plays for us to win in that second half," he said. "Sometimes it feels like Matt is going too fast, but he normally makes the right play most of the time, and Tristin made some huge threes in that second half to keep us in the game."
A nifty pass from Ward put the Raiders up two with 50 seconds left, and the Raiders eventually went up four points. However, a quick basket from the Greyhounds shrank the TRC advantage to just three. A late free throw and last last-second heave from the visitors fell just short, and the Raiders had their ranked win.
Kirby expressed pride in his team's grit and effort.
"They played hard tonight, they earned this win," he said. "They never gave and played with a lot of grit. We showed we can score with anyone, and that when we are playing well, we can compete with any team."
The Raiders will next be in action on Jan. 10 against State Fair Community College. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Liaudwin Seaberry Jr. - Daily American Republic