After a ten day mandatory recess due to COVID-19 protocols the River Valley girls basketball team resumed play this past week. Despite the lack of practice and having numerous games canceled the Blackhawks returned to normal action by having four games in one week. Listed below are the game summaries from this past week:
The lady Blackhawks restarted their season with a home game against conference rival Dodgeville. Showing plenty of rust, River Valley struggled to score and stumbled offensively throughout the game. Despite being down by a score of 28 to 13 at half-time, the Blackhawks battled the Dodgers fairly evenly in the second half and ended up losing by a final score of 49 to 28. Leading the way were Senior Sophia Haas and sophomore Charlotte Ferst with six points a piece.
River Valley traveled to Fennimore for a non-conference game against one of the better teams in the area. The game was similar to the previous game against Dodgeville as the Blackhawks looked to find ways to score. Unfortunately, the team struggled in the first half and only managed to score eight points compared to Fennimore’s 25. The Blackhawks found the second half to be a bit easier as they managed to score 16 points and fell by a final score of 50 to 25. Sophomore Charlotte Ferstl scored 10 points and fellow sophomore Katie Hahn added five points.
Returning home for a conference game against top ranked Lancaster, the Blackhawks put together two halves and played a complete game. The game was close until the final buzzer. The Blackhawks got as close as four points before bowing to the Fighting Arrows by a final score of 50 to 41. Sophomore Brooke Anderson scored 13 points, including three 3 point baskets. Joining Anderson in the scoring department were Sophomore Charlotte Ferstl with 13 points and senior Emilly Esser added 9 points.
Building off the momentum from the Lancaster game, the Blackhawks traveled to Pecatonica and pulled out a victory by a final score of 52 to 49. Despite trailing by four at half-time by a score of 20 to 16, River Valley scored 36 points in the second half, including going 15 for 17 from the free throw line. “It was nice to see the ball go through the hoop this afternoon. We had balanced scoring and the kids really showed how resilient they can be as a team”, said head coach Brent Johnson. Senior Ava Liegel scored a career high of 16 points including hitting three shots from behind the three point arc. Sophomore Charlotte Ferst chipped in 13 points and the backcourt duo of sophomore Brooke Anderson and senior Emily Esser added eight and nine points to secure the victory.
The Blackhawks travel to Viroqua this upcoming Tuesday as they start WIAA tournament action in the first round of regional games.
—Brent Johnson, Head Girl’s Basketball Coach