When a team has the luxury of having guards like Lyndsey Hoyd and Samantha Bloom, scoring and playmaking aren’t issues in the backcourt.
The Riverside-Brookfield High School girls basketball team certainly reminded Wheaton Academy of that reality during an 83-46 rout of the visiting Warriors last week.
Hoyd exploded for a career-high 31 points on 12 of 18 shooting (including 7-for-11 on 3-pointers) and Bloom contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Throw in solid efforts from Maddie Meehan (12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), Sophia Bolton (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Maggie Shereck (6 points, 5 rebounds) and the Bulldogs simply had too much firepower for Wheaton Academy.
“It’s been a great start for us,” Hoyd said. “We’ve had a lot of people step up for us.
“We’re doing a good job of out-hustling other teams. Our defense has been great which is winning us games. We’re also moving the ball really well and making extra passes that lead to great shots.”
RBHS also employed its up-tempo style which head coach Dallas Till loves. Against Wheaton Academy, the Bulldogs finished with 25 fast break points, 21 second chance points and 33 points off turnovers.
In fact since a 45-31 loss against St. Joseph at the Maine East Invite, RBHS has won four games in a row and outscored its opponents 265-122.
“Communication is a big key for us,” Shereck said. “We really work together. Everyone has the skillset to make us good, and it’s just like a puzzle where everything fits together.”
With the Bulldogs up 15-9 with 1:57 left in the first quarter, Hoyd drained a 3-pointer from the right side and followed with a layup from the left side to give the Bulldogs a 20-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“Our effort was at the maximum,” Meehan said. “Everyone that came in gave everything that they had. We really played a team game and we weren’t selfish with the ball.”
RBHS extended its lead as the game went along, reaching a 20-point advantage late in the fourth quarter on a basket by Bolton. Senior guard Colette Murray made shot from the right side of the court to put the Bulldogs up 83-41 with 2:30 left to play in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t really know what to expect heading into the game with (Wheaton Academy) having a new coach but we had a game plan,” Shereck said. “When everybody does their part, things just click for us.”
RBHS is off to a 6-1 start including a 2-0 record in the Metro Suburban Conference.
An influx of new players coupled with veterans like Hoyd and Bloom has served the Bulldogs well this season.
“Our team is really welcoming and everyone is awesome,” Meehan said. “The seniors give a really good older presence and they’re really welcoming to the newcomers. It feels like everyone is really working together and everyone is part of the team.”
RBHS hosts its annual Girls Holiday Classic (Dec. 26 through Dec. 30).
“Everyone is really excited,” Meehan said. “It’s always fun to play big games like that at home, and it will be really cool to have some different teams play here and play against teams that are outside of our conference.”
“We will definitely have some competition in conference play,” Meehan said. “We’re really encouraged by what we’ve done so far and we know we can build from that.”
