The River Pilots did not play their best game Saturday morning down in Bellaire.
Head coach Rick Islay admitted as much. If you asked any of the Pilots’ 11 players, they’d likely acknowledge the same.
But what Isaly and company did leave the All-American town with is another victory, their 14th of the season, along with a confidence booster knowing they can fight through adversity and come out with a ‘W’.
No team plays flawless basketball every time out. These are high school players. They are human. They have off nights. But the truly good teams find a way to overcome.
It’s becoming apparent, now 15 games into the season, that these Pilots are one of those teams.
“I pointed out how many times we were down at the half this year—once,” Isaly said, noting the previous time was to unbeaten Fairland. “This was a good game to get ready for the tournament as it was a challenge for the girls, to see how badly they wanted it.
“And they stepped up to the challenge.”
Isaly felt this type of game was a possibility. His team didn’t have the best week of practice. Plus, a team must come ready to play on a Saturday morning in Bellaire. A win against the Big Reds is never easy, and they always seem to have a little more fight in them on the weekends.
Junior Kesley Harlan tied her season-high with 28 points—20 of which coming the second half—to lead the comeback.
Fifteen games, 14 wins, and in those 14 are some impressive performances. But equally impressive was the Pilots’ ability to fight in their one loss.
River and Fairland, a Division II school based out of Proctorville, met back in December at the River City Classic in Marietta.
The Pilots fell 58-45, but remained competitive throughout against a tough team two divisions higher. Not only that, but compare some of Fairland’s other wins against John Glenn (78-47), Margaretta (67-28), St. Marys (80-40), and even Fort Frye (52-22). Not even Union Local put up that margin of victory against the Cadets this season (56-34).
River has some key wins, one of which is against fellow OVAC Class AA participant Monroe Central. The Seminoles are currently 10-4 and third in the OVAC standings, one spot behind fellow red-hot Wheeling Central (10-1) and one above Southern Local (10-4).
That’s most likely the foursome in what should be an incredibly competitive OVAC Class AA tournament here in a few weeks. A successful OVAC tourney can be a springboard to the Division II sectional and district tournament.
A Balanced, Experienced Team
River won 15 games last season playing primarily sophomores and juniors. The Pilots defeated higher seeds Beallsville and Strasburg, reaching the district semifinal round before falling to Monroe, 61-53. The Seminoles advanced to the regional tournament.
They return their most balanced and dangerous team since the Lauren Flannery-led Pilots won back-to-back OVAC crowns in 2018 and 19.
These Pilots, however, are led by Harlan, a dynamic point guard who can both beat defenders off the dribble, or pull up and pop from the outside, as she did Saturday by hitting five 3-pointers.
Her 19.2 points per game lead both the team and is one of the top marks in the entirety of the OVAC.
She’s certainly the straw stirring the proverbial drink, and during Saturday’s early struggles, her presence kept Isaly somewhat at ease while his team worked to regain its composure.
“She came up big and when you have a point guard like her that can handle and distribute, and make shots, it’s nice,” Isaly said. “I was in a little less of a panic mode.”
Harlan has started since her freshman season, as has senior Hannah Raper, another quality offensive weapon. Raper averages 11.6 per game while serving as an outside complement to Harlan.
Raper can, and has, donned the scoring mantle for the night and led the charge, as she did scoring 23 apiece against both Shadyside and Bridgeport.
Both Harland and Raper play year-round, and it shows.
Rounding out the Pilots’ big three is fellow senior Rylee Knight. One of their tallest players at 5-9, Knight employs a nice combo of strength and speed to snare rebounds, stick putbacks, and give the River an excellent inside presence.
Against Bellaire, Knight failed to score a point as she spent most of the game in foul trouble. Her previous outing? Four points. Despite that, she’s still second on the team with 12 per game and three times has eclipsed the 20-point mark.
Her foul trouble, coupled with Isaly electing to bring previously injured starter Tessa Prim along slowly, allowed freshman Zoey Fox (5-9) her first start. Fox made a couple of miscues early but responded big with a few rebounds and a career-high 11 points.
“She’d been playing a lot off the bench, but she stepped up,” Isaly said. “She turned it over a few times, but she made some big shots.”
Fellow junior Emma Reed is the final regular in the starting lineup. She’s only dented the scoring column four times, but it’s Reed’s prowess on the defensive end that makes her court presence invaluable.
Sophomores Reese Hobbs and freshman Ava Wonhas Huffman get their fair share of minutes, and Hobbs added two points and four rebounds vs. the Big Red Reds.
