The Riverside Bulldogs split their doubleheader with the Underwood Eagles, with the girls winning 48-33 while the boys fell 56-34 Friday night. The girls never trailed in a game in which nearly all the offense occurred inside the paint, which suited the Bulldogs well. They converted at a higher clip, rebounded better, and defended well. Although Underwood played well and kept the game in reach, the Bulldogs were never out of control as the seventh-ranked team in 2A earned their 18th win. Meanwhile, for the boys, it was an off night. Underwood controlled the game from start to finish. Outsized, the Bulldogs struggled to rebound and struggled to score. However, it was not due to a lack of effort, as the boys fought hard but could not overcome the struggles.

GIRLS

It was a solid effort from the Bulldogs, maybe not their strongest, but given their postseason placement is well secured, it most certainly wasn’t a bad one. They were the better team from start to finish, and although Underwood played well enough to be in the game, Riverside did what good teams do and never lost control. Sydney Somers had another great effort and led the game in scoring with 21 points. Her seven points in the opening quarter made a big difference, as the opening frame was Underwood’s most productive. Although the Bulldogs led by just two after the first, they separated themselves in the second. The defense clamped down as the Eagles scored just four points in the frame. Although Riverside only scored nine themselves, it gave them a cushion heading into the half.

The Bulldogs got off to a quick start in the second half to build their double-digit lead, that’s all they would need. Although the Eagles brought it back to single digits once in the final frame, it didn’t last long. Both sides of the ball did a good enough job so that Underwood never truly threatened. Kayden Schnack and Sophia Fenner finished with 9 and eight points, respectively, while defense allowed single digits in every quarter but the first. Despite not being at full strength, the Bulldogs took care of business. Head coach Mark Jeppesen was pleased with how Sydney Somers performed and what she able to accomplish all season.

However, Jeppesen knows that there is room for improvement and that the Bulldogs will have to be better heading into the postseason.

BOYS

The Bulldogs had a tough challenge in the midst of what is arguably their toughest stretch of the season. Underwood came into Oakland with four wins in their last five games, two of which were against ranked opponents (Treynor & Tri-Center). The Eagles got to work right away, using their size advantage to build an early lead. Meanwhile, the Riverside offense struggled. Although they did get some opportunities, nothing fell, and by the end of the first, the Bulldogs found themselves down 16-3. The second was better for Riverside. The Bulldogs sank their first field goal while Cole Jeppesen and Owen Henderson also nailed threes. However, the Bulldogs still struggled to slow down the Eagles. Although they held leading scorer Garrett Luett scoreless in the second, seven other Eagles got on the scoresheet as Underwood took a 29-14 lead into the half.

Statistically the second half was better for the Bulldogs. Owen Fenner picked up six of his team-leading 10 points in the half while Jeppesen added another three and Paden Schechinger added five. Despite Riverside more than doubling their offensive output, they still could not find a way to stop the Underwood offense. Tayden Hall hit three long balls in the frame to end with a game leading 13 points while Luett and Nolan Baker both ended in double digits. Ultimately Underwood was too much for Riverside to handle Friday as the Bulldogs fell to 10-9. Despite the loss head coach nick Kroon was pleased with how his team fought.

Underwood’s decisive advantage on the glass played a major factor.

As the regular season comes to a close, Kroon’s message to the team is to believe.

The Bulldogs will hit the road for a doubleheader with Treynor on Tuesday. For the Girls it will mark the end of their regular season, while the boys will return home for one more game against Shanandoah.