Special to the News-Times
CARLISLE — Riverside didn’t have to do anything but play its game Friday afternoon during its Class 2A girls quarterfinal matchup with Junction City at Carlisle High School.
“What we try to do is spread ‘em out and take advantage of them reaching or going for a steal,” Riverside coach Spencer Hoffman said. “It opens up lanes, and what we try to do is pick our opportunities to go to the basket.”
Which is exactly what happened during Riverside’s 50-39 victory over a Junction City squad that ran wild in a 42-point victory over England only two days earlier.
Freshman point guard Carolina Hoffman scored 18 points and kept Junction City’s top defender, Bryanna Raye, mostly frustrated in her attempts to take the ball from Hoffman or any of the Lady Rebels.
Riverside (34-7) advances to today’s 6 p.m. semifinal, and it can earn a chance to play for a state championship next week in Hot Springs.
Junction City (19-5) never backed down, and Raye stole a few, but she wasn’t able to cut loose like she did against England.
And even when she ripped off a couple steals in a row, Hoffman hustled back on defense to block her layup attempts.
“She recovered well,” Spencer Hoffman said of his daughter.
Plays like that made it especially difficult for Junction City because Riverside led most of the game — 16-10 after one quarter and 23-19 at halftime. The Lady Dragons managed to tie the game at 33-33 late in the third quarter, and Raye swiped the ball from Hoffman, headed toward the basket, but had her shot blocked by Hoffman, and the third quarter ended with the game tied at 33. Lotti Hoffman, who led Riverside with 19 points, opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to put Riverside up 36-33, Carolina Hoffman followed with two free throws for a 38-33 lead, and Junction City was never able to get closer than three points the rest of the way. The Lady Rebels simply did what they do best, run the clock and look for drives to the basket. And make free throws. “I knew if they got the lead, I knew what they were going to do,” Junction City coach Henry Harrell said. It was an uphill battle from there.”