Matt Vines 

Riverdale girls basketball coach Trey Pittman said he asked his girls a question before he finalized this season’s schedule.

Would you rather lose some games against quality opponents and be prepared to hoist trophies in February, or would go undefeated in the regular season and not be prepared in February?

“The girls wanted to be prepared to win championships,” Pittman said. “Our scheduling this year has prepared us for the postseason.

The result is a battle-tested Riverdale squad that still sports an 18-5 record, including winning the last 11 games they’ve played dating back to Dec. 12.

All five losses have come to Class 4A and 5A teams, including a pair to Riverfield Academy (4-1) and another pair to Silliman Institute (10-5), the latter two by a combined five points.

Riverdale handled its toughest district test to kick off district play when the Lady Rebels went to Briarfield Academy and won 56-34 on Jan. 3.

Riverdale will host that same Briarfield (10-2) bunch at home Jan. 24, but the Lady Rebels will be heavy favorites in their remaining 11 regular-season games.

“We didn’t play our best against a good Briarfield team, but Briarfield hadn’t played a game in two weeks when we went over there,” Pittman said. “We continued to play over the holidays and tested ourselves throughout.

“We want to continue to be great defensively and keep that going into February. We won’t always make shots, but if we continue to hold opponents to 25-35 points every game, we’ll always have a chance.”
That slate continues Friday when Claiborne Academy visits followed by a Saturday visit from Central School.

Riverdale is versatile offensive with any of its five starters capable of scoring 20 points. Guards Mary Claire Jones, Jadyn King, and Hanna Huddleston pace the back court with posts Makayla Pickett and Julia Grace Riggs leading the charge down low.

The Lady Rebels returned all but one player from a squad that advanced to the third-place game of the Class 2A State Tournament this past season with the expectation of returning to the overall state tournament this season.

Red River girls aiming to stop skid
The Red River girls seriously challenged themselves with a holiday schedule that included two games against Lakeview and dates with Natchitoches Central, Logansport and Gibsland-Coleman.

The Lady Bulldogs (6-10) have lost its last six games and nine of its last 11 after a 4-1 start.

Red River heads to Calvary Baptist on Thursday (weather permitting) before Gibsland-Coleman and Pineville next week to wrap up its non-district schedule.

Red River sits at No. 19 in the Division III Non-Select power rankings.

Red River boys pass another test at Lakeview
While the Lakeview Gators may not be a district game anymore, the rivalry with the Natchitoches Parish foe is real.

And Red River tacked another impressive pelt on their walls with a 50-39 win this past Saturday.

The Bulldogs (10-3) have challenged themselves mightily with recent wins against Bossier (51-41), Evangel Christian (51-34) and Natchitoches Central (55-49) with recent losses including Ruston (62-47) and Alexandria Senior High (65-47).

Red River squared off Tuesday night against Airline before starting a four-game homestand in the next two weeks that begins with Idea Bridge on Friday and Gibsland-Coleman on Monday.

Red River is the top-ranked team in Division III Non-Select with reigning champion Marksville slotted at No. 2 in the power rankings.

Riverdale boys looking for win as district play continues
The Riverdale boys knew they’d have to find their stride with a young team and a first-year head coach.
The Rebels (1-10) are looking for their first win since the season-opener as district play continues Friday against Claiborne Academy (5-5).

If Riverdale can’t stop its 10-game slide Friday, the Rebels do host a one-win Union Christian (1-5) bunch that’s lost three game by at least 30 points.

Riverdale had one of its best outings of the season Monday in a 52-46 loss to Word of God Academy, its closest loss of the season.