Riverside Brookfield High School senior Cameron Mercer often studies replays of his team’s basketball games, looking for ways to improve. Then there are times he watches for fun, such as the Bulldogs’ 57-48 victory over Thornton Fractional North his sophomore year, his first on varsity.
“I only had 21 points but it’s a game where I see I did a lot defensively, offensively, off the ball, on the ball. I took charges. I got a backcourt violation. I got some steals,” Mercer said. “That’s the kind of game I like watching over again just to remind myself who I am.”
That breakthrough performance now is quite common for Mercer, who further added his name to the record books in his final home game, Feb. 17.
Mercer became the program leader in career three-pointers and collected a career-high 33 points during the Bulldogs’ 60-47 victory over South Elgin.
Currently at 209, Mercer sank a third-quarter three that passed the 207 threes by Randy Ramsey from 1995-99.
“I didn’t know about [the record] until they announced it,” Mercer said. “I don’t really have any feelings toward it, but it’s as cool as far as RB history.”
Seniors Colin Cimino (10 points with 2 threes, 7 rebounds), Ben Biskupic (6 rebounds) and Liam Enright (5 assists) and sophomore Noah VanTholen (6 assists) also contributed for the Bulldogs (23-7), who won 15 of their last 17 regular-season games heading into the Class 4A Mt. Carmel Sectional as the No. 6 Seed.
They begin Morton Regional play Wednesday against No. 11 Simeon (16-9). The winner most likely plays No. 3 Whitney Young (21-7) for the regional title at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, and a sectional semifinal berth at 7 p.m., March 4.
The Bulldogs haven’t won regionals since 2022. With his career-high game, Mercer now has 1,397 career varsity points and moved past Tim Brasic (1,392 from 1998-2002) into fourth place in RBHS history behind Chris Parrish (1,570 from 2004-08), Ryan Jackson (1,541 from 2008-11) and Ramsey (1,532).
Mercer leads the Bulldogs in points (20.9 per game), threes (83) and steals (73).
“Cameron’s improved in every way. His game has developed now to how you talk about three-level scorers. He’s really like a four-level scorer,” RBHS coach Mike Reingruber said. “He can get all the way to the rim, a very good mid-range game, hits the heck out of it from three and he creates a lot of offense from his defense.”
While acknowledging Cimino (9.9 ppg, team-high 178 rebounds) as the team’s “vocal leader,” Mercer also has tried to improve that part of game this season while keeping his cool consistency and calm demeanor.
“People call me nonchalant sometimes but I just feel like some things are chill,” Mercer said. “No reason to get mad about it or react. Things that are not in my control, I can’t really change. There’s no reason to beat myself over it.”
Mercer recalls meeting Reingruber at his sixth-grade basketball opener for Hauser Middle School. Like many RBHS players, he wasn’t a Junior Bulldog. He attended summer camp but only briefly before leaving for Kentucky to visit his father, former NBA player Ron Mercer.
Despite that background, focusing on basketball wasn’t a given.
“I talked to [my father] about it and he said I don’t have to fill his shoes. It was really just me choosing what I want to do with my life and it just happened to lean on basketball,” Mercer said. “I was into golf, soccer, baseball. Basketball was the sport that kind of stuck with me.”
He was entertained by the shooting exploits of NBA players like Michael Beasley and Russell Westbrook. He soon enjoyed other aspects of the game.
“I like defense, how you can affect the game without scoring. The dynamic of the team concept. That’s what I like about basketball mainly. The ups and downs, the goods and bads and the runs you can go on,” Mercer said.
“I just don’t like getting scored on in general. I’m OK with getting scored on off a screen but one-on-one, someone breaking me down, I can’t stand that.”
RBHS/Nazareth girls basketball
Riverside Brookfield senior Arianna Hudson unknowingly played about three weeks this girls basketball season with a cracked rib. Injured the previous season, Hudson wanted to continue after the injury was diagnosed.
“They let me play. I just had to put a pad over it to keep it safe,” Hudson said.
The Bulldogs continued that desire and joy of playing all the way until the end Feb. 17. Despite losing to Nazareth Academy 66-21 in the Class 4A Hancock Regional semifinals after trailing 33-0 in the second quarter, RBHS was determined to play all out.
“This season, we kind of developed a really great team bond so if this was going to be our last game, we wanted to kind of end it on a positive note even if it wasn’t the outcome that we wanted,” said guard Addie Vaia, a senior captain with Hudson and Abby Weinert.
RBHS (11-18), the No. 16 seed in the Hinsdale Central Sectional, had lost to No. 1 Nazareth 73-13, Dec. 16, but won its previous four games. The Roadrunners (30-3) beat No. 8 Whitney Young 58-36 for the regional title, Feb. 19.
“Very proud they played hard. They have all year,” said RBHS assistant coach Emma Jarrell, coaching in place of recuperating head coach Jordan Mack or the third straight game. “They were a really fun group. And they did whatever we asked of them. A lot of seniors. We had a lot of fun. They worked hard. That’s all you can ask for.”
Vaia had eight points with 2 threes, Hudson had four points and Weinert, senior Maggie Porter and junior Kate Hamilton also had threes.
The 5-foot-10 Hudson also had four steals and blocked four shots.
“It feels good to have done some good things. They’re a really good team but we just had to play as hard as we can for the last game,” Hudson said.
Hudson fondly remembered returning to the court for the season opener. Weinert recalled making her first three as a sophomore reserve on varsity.
“I just remember all of the starters going crazy for me. That was a really welcome-to-the-team kind of moment,” Weinert said.
Seniors Lyla Shelton (19 points with 3 threes) and Stella Sakalas (16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and freshman Mia Gage (19 points, 12 rebounds) led Nazareth. Sakalas equaled her career best of 33 points against Whitney Young on 15-for-18 shooting with a three. Gage (10 points, 6 steals) and juniors Sam Austin (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Sophia Towne (5 points, 6 assists) also contributed.
Sakalas, who will play at Brigham Young, leads Nazareth in career rebounds (802) and is second in career points (1,866).
Nazareth played St. Ignatius (21-11) in the Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinals Tuesday with the winner playing No. 2 Downers Grove North (29-2) or No. 6 Hinsdale Central (21-11) for the sectional title at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20. The Lyons Township super-sectional is at 7 p.m., March 2, with the winner gaining a state semifinal berth in Normal.