Getting Revenge on the Riverhawks - By Lucas Wakeley

    As the Richland Bombers and the Chiawana Riverhawks met for the second time this season, players were preparing for what was sure to be a fierce battle. In their previous meeting, Chiawana’s girls’ basketball team defeated Richland 53-45. Less than a month later, Richland looked to return the favor at home.

Lexi Hay defending the Riverhawks. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The players to watch going into this game were Kylee Fox (Richland) and Malia Ruud (Chiawana). Fox is committed to Fresno State to play D-1 basketball next year. At the same time, Ruud remains uncommitted but boasts visits to the likes of WSU, Montana State, Montana University, and the University of Idaho. Both players are offensive powerhouses, and stopping them would go a long way toward a victory for either team.

    Coming off a 77-35 win against Hermiston the previous day, Richland started the game hot as Mackenzie Schultz drove in for a skillful layup. Macie Milum would then double the lead with a mid-range floater. Chiawana would respond well, eventually seeing Gianna Mendelez sink a three-pointer midway through the first quarter. Both Fox and Ruud have been relatively quiet at this point, as the game has been a defensive battle.

Kylee Fox shoots a three in the game against Chiawana. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The second quarter begins with Chiawana leading 14-11. With the game remaining two-sided, Kylee Fox would drive into the paint, turn to fake a pass, and then drain a fantastic fadeaway jumper that seemed to impress the crowd. To finalize the quarter, Lexi Hay would score a buzzer-beater three to give the Bombers a 23-22 lead. As they were walking to the locker room, you could see on the faces of Westerfield’s girls that, while happy to be leading, they were hungry for more. This is an ever-present attitude with the team, and they were able to reap the benefits of this mindset early in the second half.

    The Riverhawks were not ready for what the Bombers brought out of the locker room, as they would fall victim to an exciting 8-2 run and be forced to use a timeout with hopes of slowing momentum. The league knows well that once this Bomber team gets going, it can be incredibly challenging to stop them. Straight out of the timeout, Fox would be given the ball, drive powerfully into the paint, and pass the ball to teammate Maggie Smith for a layup. Smith would end the game as the Bombers’ top scorer with 14, while Fox and Milum would have 13.

Macie Milum looks to get the offense going in the second half. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    The fierce mentality mentioned above is often exemplified by Lexi Hay, who made a standout play with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. After scoring a layup, defensive specialist Hay quickly got back on defense, forcing an over-and-back violation out of the Lady Riverhawks. What was once a close game had become increasingly one-sided, as Chiawana could not find a solution for their opponents. Milum would soon thereafter use her frightening speed to catch the Riverhawks by surprise, stealing the ball for a wide-open layup and putting an exclamation mark on the Bombers’ now 14-2 run.

    With the girls in green and gold up 52-37, the game was all but over when Maggie Smith hit a dagger three-pointer, following it up the next play with an and-one layup, subsequently scoring the awarded free-throw.

    Richland ultimately achieved a comfortable win, but there was no clear favorite going into the game. To get an idea of how the student section was feeling beforehand, I spoke with Justus Thurman, an RHS junior. “There was an obvious feeling of nervousness going into the game, and it stayed around until Lexi Hay hit a 3 to put us in the lead before the half. After that, the atmosphere got better, and the girls started playing better. As the girls’ play improved, so did the thoughts of those who were watching,” said Thurman.

Kylee Fox taking on the Riverhawks on Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    Richland High sports teams often accredit some of their success to the support they have from fellow students. The student section is undoubtedly one of the best in the state, and such a unique passion on display is hard to find anywhere else. I got to speak with senior Braylon Norris to ask him what it’s like to be a part of an institution with so much pride in its athletics. “Being a part of the RHS student section is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Not everyone can say they have something similar. There is such a deep pride instilled in the student section that sets it apart. Everyone there is so bought into our programs and our players that there’s really no school that can match it. It just is an amazing thing to be a part of, and no one there would trade it for anything,” said Norris. Playing in front of such a group is surely a pleasure and a confidence boost. This confidence will be crucial in the Bomber team’s next matchup. The girls currently sit in second place in the MCC, behind only Kamiakin. They will play the Braves in a few days in what could end up as the season-defining game for both teams. 

The student section wearing all pink celebrates a big win. The 'Pink Out' theme was to bring awareness to breast cancer. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    After the game, I got to speak with Kylee Fox, the talisman for this Bomber team. I asked Kylee how it felt to beat the Riverhawks so comfortably after narrowly losing in their previous matchup. Fox said, “It feels so good to beat Chiawana. We knew we didn’t play our best the first time we played them. We have beaten them in previous years, so we knew that we could win, and we executed our plays and played really good defense.” While this game was important, there is arguably no regular season exhibition that will mean more than the upcoming Kamiakin faceoff. I also asked the two-time MVP how this win would affect the team’s momentum for the next game. “This win definitely gives us momentum going into Kamiakin and we know we can beat them. Kamiakin is a tough team to play, but we definitely have the advantage playing at home next week!” Fox is excited to play the last few games of the regular season and head into the postseason; she really enjoys playing with her teammates. “On our team, we have multiple scorers and weapons to use, as well as a great defensive unit. I can count on all my teammates to do their best and give it their all.”

    The Bombers will face Kamiakin at Art Dewald Gymnasium on Friday, February 3rd, for their penultimate regular season game.