The Richland Rebel Basketball Team played their hardest tonight as they had their second home game this week against the Puxico Indians. The Rebels recently lost their winning streak and although the fans thought that the game would eventually turn around, the Rebels lost to the Indians on their own court tonight with a final score of 77 to 66.
The Rebels are used to getting the tipoff due to their man in the middle, senior Richard Forshee. During the first quarter of tonight’s game, the Rebels lost the ball in the very beginning to Puxico’s sophomore player, Zack Tucker. The Indians quickly scored the first two points of the game and kept the lead the entire night.
Although the home team stayed on their opponent’s tail throughout the first quarter, their defense was extremely weak, allowing the Puxico players to easily run in for layups. Forshee scored the Rebels’ first points at the free throw line as he made both of his shots, with his team only being down by four points. The first quarter was a struggle for both sides due to both teams playing strict offense. The Indians eventually gained a ten point lead, making a three pointer at the end of the first quarter with a score of 24 to 14.
In the second quarter, things on the court got even tougher for the Rebels. The Indians pulled back and started playing more defensively, making it very difficult for Forshee and sophomore Marcus Grayson to get the rebounds for the Rebels. The home team made most of their points from free throws after multiple fouls on Puxico. The Indians jumped even further ahead in the lead while the Rebels stuck to their offensive strategy. Both teams seemed to double their points but the players could not make secure passes for most of the night. The second quarter ended at 45 to 27 with the Indians still ahead.
During halftime, the Rebel Rouser Pep Band played their favorite songs for the Friday night crowd. The cheerleaders and the Rebel fans sang along with the band as they played Go Big Red, Centerfold, and Chameleon. The Rebel Rousers Pep Band and the Pep Club play a big part of the home games with their theme nights and cheers.
After halftime was finished and the players reassembled on the court, the Rebels gave their coaches and fans a little shimmer of hope as they began to catch up to their rival. For a short period of time, the home team was only four points away from tying with the Indians. With quicker defense and by grabbing the rebounds, the Rebels seemed to be making their way back up to the top.
Senior Nick Daniels accounted for many of the layups that were made for the Rebels tonight, along with his teammate and classmate, Jesse Barnes. Barnes and Daniels both ran offensively and were quick with their passes and shots. Sophomore Skyler Harper was quick on his feet and was a key player on the court for his team when it came to setting up the shots and weaving through the Indians’ defense.
The Indians had an advantage of a full bench while the Rebels only had three players on the sidelines. Puxico switched out their players and with fresh boys on the court, the Rebels slowly began to fall behind again with the third quarter ending at 61 to 53.
In the fourth and final quarter, the Rebels took nearly every rebound and got more than halfway down the court before losing the ball to their competition. It was a back and forth run for both teams and the eight minutes on the scoreboard seemed much too short. In the end, the Indians took the win and kept their ten point lead that they held for the whole game.
The Rebels are excited for their next home game against the Bernie Mules. This home game will be their last of the season and it will also highlight the team’s seniors: Richard Forshee, Nick Daniels, and Jesse Barnes, who will all be truly missed by their teammates and their fans.
