SAN FRANCISCO - Coming off a Central Coast Section Division III championship, the Riordan basketball team showed that it's just getting started.
In the thrilling win-or-go-home California Interscholastic Federation NorCal quarterfinal game, the host Crusaders came away with a 62-55 win over Placer Saturday night.
The game was tight throughout, with 13 lead changes and Riordan holding on to a slim 41-39 lead after three quarters. But the Crusaders gained enough momentum to pull away in the fourth and seal the win with clutch free-throw shooting and defense.
"I always preach to our team that what defines a champion is how they finish and we finished strong tonight," said Riordan coach Rich Buckner. "Something our team does is start out slow, feel our opponent out, and then turn it up later in the game. But it's better to start slow and end strongly than the other way around."
Though Riordan did get off to a slow start, forwards Eddie Stansberry and Jake Rassam carried a good offensive load for the Crusaders. Stansberry was the leading scorer for Riordan and also contributed seven rebounds.
Rassam led the team with three assists and a nice seven points on perfect shooting from the field. Forward Daniel Norman and center Jason Smith anchored Riordan defensively, combining for three blocks and a whopping 10 steals.
"We came into the game knowing they were a solid defensive team," Rassam said. "After a slow start, we just started to attack the rim which got the other team in foul trouble and put us on the line."
Center Jeremy Lillis and Xavier Lovelace were the main catalysts for Placer. Lillis scored 14 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting while leading the team with four assists. Lovelace led the team in scoring with 17 points and also contributed 11 rebounds.
"We just started missing some very makeable shots," said Placer coach Mark Lee. "Riordan got the momentum they needed and we just took a few too many quick shots."
The win allows Riordan to advance to the CIF NorCal semifinals. The Crusaders will travel to Manteca Tuesday night.
