While the Riverside Brookfield boys basketball team has cruised in conference play, things haven’t been quite as smooth for the Bulldogs in non-conference action.

Last Saturday, the Bulldogs (3-6 overall, 3-0 Metro Suburban Conference) narrowly fell to Niles West 72-69. The loss marked the fourth non-conference loss by four points or less for RB. Niles leapt to an early 22-16 lead after the first quarter and continued to cling to a 35-34 advantage at the half. RB, however, kept battling and took a 58-53 lead going into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, foul trouble allowed Niles to scratch back and snare the win in the waning moments of the quarter.

RB’s top players Jon Baldermann and Chris Parrish both fouled out, crippling the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. Baldermann finished the night with 28 points and eight rebounds, while Parrish had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Dan Papadatos added seven points and six assists.

“Even though we have lost four tough games and that has been hard on the players and coaches, I know we can rebound,” RB coach Tom McCloskey said. “I don’t think you can pinpoint one thing that we are doing wrong, it’s just a mixture of getting down the offense and defense side of things and executing.”

Indeed, on defense the Bulldogs had trouble with the Wolves sophomore forward Nik Garcia, who victimized RB for 31 points. Still, McCloskey believes the overall team defense is improving, but he admits it is a work in progress and something that must improve if the Bulldogs expect any post-season success.

Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs recorded their third straight league win with a 74-55 victory over Elmwood Park. Baldermann once again had a standout game with 33 points, including a stellar 15-of-18 shooting from the field. Parrish chipped in 18 points, amassing 14 of his points in the first quarter. Consequently, the Bulldogs led 27-20 after one quarter and entered the locker room with a secure 49-32 lead at the half.

“We really were firing on all cylinders from the get-go,” McCloskey said. “I took out all the starters early in the fourth quarter, so everybody got some good, quality minutes. We continue to play very well in the conference, which really is a great sign.”

Along with Baldermann and Parrish, McCloskey has also seen point guard Dan Oswald steadily improve. The sophomore chipped in six points and six assists against the Tigers, while Jake Nash added six points and four rebounds. Shane and Anthony Kilcoyne have also bolstered RB’s lineup, another reason for McCloskey to feel good about the second half of the season.

“We had some tough games, but this is because we play a difficult non-conference schedule, but that is only going to make us better,” he said. “I just think we need to get better at knowing our roles and knowing when to establish ourselves. Once we do that, I really think we can rattle off some wins.”