On Jan. 29, the RHHS basketball teams traveled to Portal and came back with mixed results. The girls beat the Portal Panthers 66-50 while the boys lost 56-71.

This night Tyler Carlson continued her hot streak while matching her own record for most points scored by sinking an impressive 29 points. She wasn’t the only hot player. Colleen Keller followed closely behind her with 20 points while Dajah Davis had 12 points and 18 rebounds. The Lady Cats maintained the lead throughout the entire game.

“They tried to pressure, but we took it to the hoop,” said Coach Elizabeth Bennett. “We played our game and, most importantly, we rebounded the ball. This game was probably the biggest and best team effort yet this season.”

Bennett said this apparent shift in seeing others beside Carlson score big is a strategic move the team has been working on. She said Carlson is now concentrating on rebounding and passing as much as she is scoring “which has opened the door for players like Colleen and Dajah. This will help the team greatly because it’s hard to stop multiple offensive players coming at you.”

As for the boys, a valiant effort was recorded despite the loss against the 19-1 single A powerhouse Panthers as Chakiris Moss scored 21 points – which includes nailing five three-pointers – Sean Szad had 11, Darius Postell had 7 and George Greig had 6.

“They’re (Portal) not 19-1 for nothing,” Coach William Altman said. “Their athletic ability on a 2-3 zone overwhelmed us in the first half. Number 25, David Buchanan, is the best point guard I’ve seen. I’m proud of our boys though as they not only didn’t give up. Instead, we started playing like we should in the second half, and they stepped it up big-time on defense and offense. Sean and Darius both scored 7 points in the fourth quarter alone. We actually outscored them in the second, but it just wasn’t enough to recover.”

Richmond Hill played number two ranked region foes Hepzibah last night and face 3-AAAA’s Wayne County tonight at home – 7 p.m. tip-off. Altman said he is confident for a victory for the Wildcat boys and girls tonight after scouting his opponents. Also tonight, the seniors will be honored as a part of Senior Night.