Fog clears for Raiders as they secure first win of the season
Jan. 18—RICHARDTON, N.D. — The Richardton-Taylor Raiders have been working hard this season, but their efforts had yet to result in a win — until Monday night. On a foggy evening, the Raiders secured a commanding 62-37 victory against Region 5 team Solen, in a game that was truly a team effort.
Head coach Kari Dohrmann credited her team's mental toughness for maintaining their half-time lead, even after a slow third quarter.
"We talked a lot these last couple of weeks," Dohrmann said. "We had a tough game in Max on Saturday, that I am going to call a team win. We did lose by eight, but it was a good team win for us. Everybody is stepping up and we are at the point that we are hopefully turning the corner, confidence wise, teamwork and intensity and so tonight it showed that we can do it."
The Raiders got off to a strong start in the first half, scoring 18 points in each quarter. Lone senior center Dylan Kessel led by example, tallying eight of the points in the first quarter, 13 total points and was the protector of the rim with 10 defensive rebounds, 13 in total.
Kessel was not alone in achieving a double-double, as juniors Casein Dohrmann and Kane Rivinius would also finish the night with statistical success. Casein Dohrmann, the 6'1 stand-out, led his team in points and boards with 17 and 19 respectively, while Rivinius finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Rigo Silva would be the fourth player to hit double digits, going for 11 points and four steals.
Solen, who like Richardton-Taylor, is currently last in their region and in search of their first win of the season, gave the Raiders a run for their money.
The Sioux started off slow, going into the second half with a 36-15 deficit, but came out of the locker rooms ready to battle back. They would make up some ground in the third quarter, beating the Raiders 11-10 — finding success from the outside. Solen scored six three-pointers to close the end of the game, four of which came courtesy of Caleb Lester, their lead scorer with 16 points.
In a fourth quarter timeout, with victory insight, Dohrmann made clear to the Raiders to not leave their foot off the pedal.
"We talked about the difference between being content and being happy. There is a big difference and you walk a fine line with comfortability too," said Dohrmann. "I didn't want the boys to get comfortable."
Casein Dohrmann shined in the final quarter racking up 10 points for Richardton-Taylor, who won the quarter 16-11.
The win was a turning point for the Raiders who, despite their struggles all season, had maintained a positive attitude and continued to work hard to secure their first win. With their first success under their belt, the team will now look to build on the momentum and make a push for a successful end to the season.
