By Liam O’Neill
In a rematch of the Inaugural game of the season, the Raiders at 10-4, were looking to extend their five game win streak taking on a 7-7 Mankato West Team.
The first half of the game was a back and forth battle between the Raiders and the Scarlets. Short runs after short runs were traded in a feisty first half. The Raiders led a more set play oriented game while on the contrary, the Scarlets opted for fast paced looks. Senior Forward Soren Richardson led the Raiders in the first half with a fury of 3-pointers and second chance points off of the offensive glass. The first seven minutes of the game were pretty neck and neck until the Scarlets found a 6 point lead due to their fast paced dribble drives through the man defense of the Raiders. At the 11:09 mark, first year head Coach Matt Christianson called a timeout to give the Raiders a different look at their defense. This switch allowed the Raiders to also obtain a 6 point lead. This back and forth action led up until the half where the buzzer sounded with a score of 40-39 Northfield.
Some highlights of this first half were Soren Richardson earning a rare 4 point play after only a
minute of play, Freshman Forward Kayden Oakland perfectly executing a Euro-Step for an easy
layup, and Sophomore Guard Isaiah Mahal making a big three at the end of the half to give the
Raiders the lead entering the half.
The second half is where the game fell apart for the Raiders, turnovers and a lack of offense cost them the game. Senior Guard Soren Richardson entered a shooting slump in which the Raiders got behind by as much as 17. The Raiders did end up making a short but futile comeback coming within single digits of the Scarlets, it was not enough to turn it around. While it was a hard fought game, the defense of the Scarlets must be accredited. One defensive standout for the Scarlets was Forward number 23 Mason Durose. In crunch time Mason not only snagged some clutch rebounds for the Scarlets but also took two
crucial charges, stymying two Raider possessions which would have given them a great chance at a comeback. Their defense on Richardson must also be accredited as most of his missed shots came off of difficult and deep shots. These shots were made difficult by the suffocating defense of the Scarlets. While it was a tough loss for the Raiders, Soren Richardson’s 29 point performance brings him ever closer to the legendary 1,000 point mark. The Raiders take on number one seeded Mankato East Monday in what is sure to be a high paced, and high stakes, battle for Big 9 supremacy.