By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE – After downing rival St. Charles by 20 points on Jan. 13 in the Comets’ gym, Riverside hoped to collect its third district victory in similar fashion Monday night in Reserve.

The Rebels took a different path, but their playoff hopes are still very much alive after an exciting come-from-behind victory over SCC, 56-53.

“We talked at the half and I just told them, if we lose this one … that’s it,” said Riverside coach Trenese Smith, whose team pulled into third place in District 9-2A with the win. “A loss means we’re pretty much done. You’re just playing to play from here on out. Now, we get a win and we still have hope.”

Said Riverside’s Kelsie Joseph: “We all wanted something to play for from here on out. We had a slow start, their shots were falling … but we knew we couldn’t afford to lose.”

Toni Hebert hit a key 3-pointer to give Riverside their first lead of the night with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter, 49-46, and Jill Blanchard hit three of her four foul shots in the waning seconds of the game to secure the eventual deciding points.

Riverside (7-16, 3-3) endured a torrid first quarter of shooting by St. Charles, including a 10-point effort in the frame by Kacie Braud — she’d finish with 23 points and nine rebounds on the night. The Comets (4-17, 2-5) led by as many as 10.

The Rebels trailed by eight late in the third quarter but got a big lift from Kelsie Joseph, who hoisted and nailed a desperation 3-pointer as time expired to cut the Comet lead to five.

“That might have been the biggest play of the game,” said Smith. “That and Toni’s 3 late. Kelsie isn’t usually a long-range shooter, so for her to make that one really lifted everybody.”

Said Joseph: “I knew we needed those points, so I put my usual game aside and wanted to step up.”

It seemed to rejuvenate Riverside, which came out in the fourth quarter using an effective press, forcing SCC into a number of critical mistakes.

“We saw them stalling a little and we were down, so we couldn’t afford to just stand back,” said Smith. “So we put on the press and that’s really what turned it around.”

Braud put the Comets ahead 46-41 after putting down a bank shot, but the Rebels’ Jermani Thompson responded with a bucket off of a drive to make it 46-43.

The Comets had a chance to really create some distance moments later, however, when Thompson was whistled for a technical foul. SCC missed both free throws and did not convert on the ensuing possession, however, with a little over three minutes remaining.

Megan Malik drew a foul and hit two free throws to pull Riverside within one, 46-45. The Rebels’ press then forced a pair of Comet turnovers on traveling violations, the second of which leading to Malik tying the game at the line after hitting one of two free throws with 2:06 left. The Comets hit the offensive glass at the other end but could come away with no points on a pair of putback attempts. Then, with 1:16 left, Hebert — whose shooting barrage in the last meeting between the teams was a major key — squared up and nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Rebels a 3-point lead.

From there, it was a foul-shooting contest with each team taking turns at the line. Riverside led by as many as five, but the Comets closed within one, 54-53, with 3.5 seconds left on Hanna Snyder’s layup.

Blanchard was fouled before the ensuing inbounds pass and went to the line, sinking two free throws. SCC pushed the ball up the floor but could not get a shot off before the buzzer.

Courtney Snyder finished with 13 points for St. Charles. Heather Orillion scored 10.

For the Rebels, it was a very balanced effort as five players finished with seven points or more. Hebert led her team with 12, while Kristy Milioto scored 10. Malik and Joseph each scored eight and Thompson finished with seven.

Braud and Orillion combined to score the first seven points of the game to put SCC ahead 7-0. Hebert responded with a 3, but Braud hit two shots in a row to push SCC’s lead to 11-4. SCC finished the first quarter ahead 17-11, and pushed its lead to 10 to begin the second quarter after consecutive buckets by Orillion and Snyder made it 21-11.

Riverside cut the lead to five at halftime, its last points of the half coming on a Thompson drive to the basket.

In the third quarter, a Milioto bucket pulled RA within two at one point, 29-27, but a pair of Braud free throws and a Nicole Doming basket ignited an 11-5 run that pushed the Comet lead to eight before Joseph’s 3 to end the period.

“I thought it was one of our best showings of the season,” said St. Charles coach Kelly Cupit. “Everyone hustled. They all really wanted it. We made some mistakes in the end, didn’t make our shots, turned it over … but I am very proud of their effort tonight.”