By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Riverside saw its district record drop to 1-1 Monday night as 10-2A rival Haynes defeated the Rebels, 49-45, at Haynes.

Haynes defeated Riverside in the final game of district play a year ago to effectively keep the Lady Rebels out of the postseason.

Toni Hebert scored 11 to lead RA. Kelsey Joseph scored 10, Channan Simmons added nine, and Kennedy White scored eight.

The Yellow Jackets opened the game by outscoring Riverside 13-3 in the first quarter, but the Rebels roared back in the second quarter, their 19-point effort tying the game at 22 at halftime.

“We finally started hitting shots,” said Riverside coach Kristy Hebert. “We came up with a bunch of steals and that helped pull us back in the game.”

But it came at a price. Riverside’s comeback came largely on the back of an effective man to man, pressure defensive look, but it also led to a number of foul calls.

In the third quarter, three Rebel starters found themselves limited or on the sideline due to having four fouls.

“Midway through the third, we had to play without three starters, and we lost the momentum we had,” said Coach Hebert.

It gave Haynes the opening it needed to take a six-point lead going into the final quarter, and the Rebels weren’t able to rally back for the win.

Riverside also fell in two games at the East Jefferson tournament last week: to Thibodaux, 55-22, and to Cohen 52-34.

Simmons scored eight and White scored seven to lead the Rebels against Thibodaux. Against Cohen, Jamie Bolden scored 11, Simmons eight and Hebert seven.

Coach Hebert is still encouraged by her team’s prospects through the rest of district, though a tough game lurks Friday: the Rebels will host John Curtis, the favorite to win District 10-2A. That game has been moved from next Monday night, due to the LSU/Alabama BCS Championship Game.

“I think we’ve gotten better each game,” she said.

“As long as that continues, we should come out of this stretch pretty well.”