Riverside Lady Rebels victorious over Kaycee and St. Stephens

The Riverside Lady Rebels commenced the New Year with back-to-back home victories, defeating Kaycee 58-24 Friday evening and St Stephens 54-10 Saturday afternoon. 

Head Coach Mark Hamilton commented, “After a three-week hiatus since our pre-Christmas games, it was great to return to play, especially as these were our first home games in front of our Rebel fans.”

In the matchup against Kaycee, Johnna Clifford achieved a career-high of 23 points, Brooklynn Paxton contributed 20, Varissa Olsen added seven, and both Belle Starbuck and Cachelynn Forshee each supplied four points. The team tallied a season-best 16 steals, and their strong defensive efforts were instrumental in securing the win. Coach Hamilton emphasized that the team prioritized contesting shots and controlling rebounds to limit Kaycee’s scoring opportunities.

On Saturday, the Lady Rebels faced St. Stephen’s in their conference opener, delivering an impressive performance with a 54-10 victory in a game shortened to two quarters. Offensively, both Johnna Clifford and Brooklynn Paxton led the team with 22 points each. Cachelynn Forshee scored eight points, and Hadley Hopkins contributed two points. Robust ball pressure forced numerous turnovers, providing the momentum needed for the decisive victory.

Looking ahead, the Lady Rebels will host the Shoshoni Lady Blue Thursday night. On Saturday, they are scheduled to travel to Bridger, Mont., for a non-conference game against the Lady Scouts. The team’s previous meeting with Shoshoni ended in a narrow 55-46 loss during the Lady Blue tournament before Christmas—a competitive game that remained close until Shoshoni pulled away late, aided by 10 3-point field goals and persistent full-court pressure. In preparation for the rematch, practices this week will focus on defending the 3-point shot and enhancing press break execution. Shoshoni is a member of the 2A Northeast conference.

Saturday’s contest against Bridger is expected to present a contrasting style of play, offering valuable experience as the team prepares to face two conference opponents the following week.

Riverside  13  17  11  17                 58

Kaycee       5   4    10    5                 24

Brooklynn Paxton: 10,0 0-0 20 Johnna Clifford: 8,2 2-1 23 Belle Starbuck: 2, 0 0-0  4, Varissa Olsen: 3,0 4-1  7  Cachelynn Forshee: 2, 0  0-0  4

Riverside:  41   13      54

St. Stephens:  2   8    10

Paxton: 7,1 7-5  22  Clifford: 8,1 4-3  22  Forshee: 4,0  2-0, 8