By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

METAIRIE — Riverside coach Timmy Byrd says not everyone realizes how well his Rebels, known widely for their offensive firepower, can defend.

More performances like Wednesday night’s fourth quarter will broadcast that message loud and clear.

Riverside held Country Day scoreless for nearly the entirety of the fourth quarter to pull away and capture a 63-41 win on the road over a top Class 1A contender.

Jared Butler scored 15 points to lead Riverside. Jordan Andrews scored 14 and Herb McGee added 11.

Country Day’s J.C. Younger scored a game-high 22 to lead the Cajuns.

Riverside did not allow a fourth quarter point until 1:07 left to play, with the second team in for both sides at that point.

“Our guys played lock down defense in the second half,” Byrd said. “Country Day’s a very good, well-coached team, and nobody will be surprised to see them play for the 1A title.”

For the Rebels, it capped a string of games since the weekend. RA went 1-2 at the Montverde Academy Invitational, then defeated East St. John 83-65 on Monday night.

“Our guys are physically and mentally tough,” Byrd said. “They weren’t going to take a team like Country Day lightly.”

A Younger 3-point shot just before time expired in the second quarter seemed to give Country Day a lift entering the half, making it a 31-26 score. Riverside came out strong in the third quarter, however, to open things up.

Andrews and Crowfield each sank 3s for Riverside early in the third quarter, and McGee got to the line to sink two free throws to put RA ahead by seven. Younger kept his team afloat with a pair of key baskets, but Butler’s corner 3 made it a 10-point Rebels lead. Butler followed in Younger’s footsteps to end the third, sinking his own corner 3 just before time expired to make it a 12-point Rebels lead.

Riverside led by 14 when the freshman, Butler, charged a game-sealing run. He drove to the basket for a layup, then made a steal and got another basket to quickly make it 56-37.

Andrews made a layup to make it 59-37. Offensively, Country Day found nothing remotely easy. After buckets by Andrews and Crowfield, RA led by a game-high margin of 26.

“Coach told us we needed to dig in,” Butler said.

“We locked down their two best shooters (Younger and Corchiani)  late and made others make plays.”

Butler said when the Rebels are playing defense and sinking 3s like they were at times Wednesday, it can “feel effortless.”

“When everyone has it going, nobody can stop us,” he said. “It’s our best quality.

“When we’re all making those shots it makes it really tough for people.”

Butler, who scored 33 in the final game of the Montverde tourney, has joined the starting lineup, adding another threat as a ball-handler and shooter.

“We trust him,” Byrd said.

“He’s shooting extremely well. He handles it really well and he’s doing everything we want.

“With him out there, we’re small, but what we lose in size we gain in offensive firepower.