By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in weeks, Riverside faced a true test on Friday night.

While few expected eighth-seeded Springfield to give the top-seeded Rebels a run for their money in their Class 2A quarterfinal game, there the Bulldogs were, trailing by only one at halftime before a gym filled with passionate Springfield fanatics.

For a top seed with all the expectations in the world upon it, it was a pressure cooker. But the Rebels (34-6) were ready.

Riverside came through, outscoring Springfield 40-21 after halftime to emerge with a 72-52 victory and propel itself to the Boys Top 28 tournament in Lafayette. It is the first time in school history Riverside has qualified for the tournament.

“It felt real good to come out and win in an atmosphere like this,” said the Rebels’ Louis Dabney, who scored 13 points and played on last year’s Class C champion Reserve Christian team with many of his current teammates. “Can’t wait to go back to the Dome.”

The Rebels will face Evangel at 5 p.m. today at the Cajundome in a Class 2A semifinal game.

Things started off well for Riverside — the game’s first basket was a 3-pointer by Cedric Jenkins that ramped up the Riverside contingent in attendance. He’d hit two more in the first quarter, the third giving his team a 15-10 lead.

But Springfield (27-6) found a rhythm, breaking the Rebel press and converting open shots. Springfield ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run, highlighted by a pair of buckets by Cody Scott, and extended the run to 13-0 early in the second quarter to make it 23-15.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” said Riverside coach Timmy Byrd.

“We thought they’d come out in their usual 2-3 zone, and they came out in man. They did a good job against our press. The bottom line is you have to give Springfield a lot of credit.”

Riverside called a timeout and regrouped behind Ed Gallina, who hit consecutive threes and a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 25-23. A Ricardo Gathers hook tied the game, and a Gathers slam dunk gave Riverside a 32-31 lead it would take into halftime.

“The crowd motivated me the most,” said Gathers. “I loved it.”

The Rebels began to assert their dominance in the third quarter, settling into their halfcourt defense and allowing Springfield virtually no open looks.

“We put (6-foot-6) Donald Thomas in there, and I think it made us so long that it really gave them a tough time,” said Byrd.

Said Gathers: “We played them tighter. We made them shoot, but we got a hand up in their face every time.”

Offensively, Riverside started attacking the basket, refusing to shy away from a physical Bulldog defensive effort.

“Don’t bail them out with jumpers,” said Dabney. “We knew we couldn’t relax.”

Louis Dabney created a 3-point play on a drive to the basket to make it 40-35. A Gallina 3 made it 44-36. And a monster alley-oop jam by Gathers off of a Jenkins pass sent the Rebel fans into hysterics, making it 48-38.

Franklin Francois made a steal and an open layup for the Rebels to make it 50-40. He drew a charge at the other end, and Dabney made it a 12-point lead on a shot in the lane.

“It was time to finish it,” said Dabney.

Byrd said he didn’t have to fire his players up at halftime.

“They needed a calming effect,” said Byrd. “We weren’t doing the things we wanted to do, probably due to the atmosphere.”

Riverside carried that lead into the fourth quarter, and Springfield never got closer than 11 from there. The Rebels finished the game on a 13-4 run.

“Their inside-outside game eventually overwhelmed us,” said Springfield coach Mark Erdey.

Gathers scored 18 points to lead all scorers. Gallina scored 15, and Louis Dabney added 13.

Tony Patrick scored 15 to lead the Bulldogs, and Darron McKinney added 14.