The Riverside Bulldogs ended their season Saturday night one win short of the state tournament. After pulling two upsets over Southwest Valley and Bedford, St. Edmond proved to be too much to handle as they fell to the Gaels by a score of 71-54. In the first quarter, the Bulldogs were holding their own and even led at certain points throughout the period. Unfortunately, the height and athleticism of Gaels’ star Hunter Horn began to take over in the second period. St. Edmond took a dominant 45-28 lead into the half and didn’t look back. Riverside was led in scoring by Owen Fenner who had 19, but ultimately fell short at the Knapp Center in the Substate Final.

The first half truly began as a back and forth battle and was defined by the incredible shooting for the Bulldogs. They were moving the ball well, and guys like Owen Fenner, who finished 5/7 from three, knocked a couple down in the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it felt like it was only a matter of time before St. Edmond would break away. They were excellent in transition, but the incredible efficiency from Riverside was keeping it close. Hunter Horn of the Gaels, who also happens to be the 4th leading scorer in the whole state, was getting his fair share of buckets in the first period but it never felt out of reach.

Then to start the second period, St. Edmond began running in transition and getting easy buckets. They also started using their height to their advantage. Hunter Horn and Carson Bargfrede had the height advantage all night and were grabbing offensive rebounds like they were nothing. St. Edmond dominated the second period and led by 17 at the half.

The second half was very similar to the second quarter. The height of the Gaels proved to be too much. Although Riverside actually played excellent offensive throughout the entirety of the game, there just was no answer for Hunter Horn. Horn finished with 28 points, which is two above his average for the season. Even though the game never felt terribly close in the second period, this was a Riverside team that fought until the very end. They made 11 threes as a team, and played impressive half court basketball. What really separated the Gaels was their transition offense and rebounding. They gained many extra possessions. For Riverside, Owen Fenner led in scoring with 19, followed by Dawson Henderson and Peyton Amdor who had 11. All in all, this Bulldogs team fought and truly had a successful season. Three playoff victories and a Substate Final appearance. St. Edmond is just a phenomenal basketball team with a lot of height and athleticism. Despite the loss, Head Coach Nick Kroon was happy with how his guys fought to start the game.

Coach Kroon was proud of how Owen Fenner stepped up:

The Bulldogs were never the biggest team, but they battled every single night:

The seniors from this team meant so much to the success that Riverside had this season:

The Riverside Boys Basketball team finished the season with a record of 14-11, which included three playoff victories and a berth to the Substate Final game. Unfortunately, they fell to the St. Edmond Gaels on Saturday night 71-54.