Two teams coming into the game after tough losses looked to avoid slipping further in the standings as they met up for tonight’s Game of the Week. Ridley College has been close to achieving a .500 record throughout the season but have been set back in their last few contests. Southwest Academy have had their own set of struggles since the turn of the new year but are still hopeful that they can make an impact this season.

Once the game was underway neither team lacked energy nor hustle, but unfortunately neither side could get a basket to fall for an extended period. However, once the teams got going they managed to make a few baskets from behind the arc. Ridley College had a noticeable size advantage but surprisingly most of their success came from long range and Marcus Upshaw (finished with 24 points) was instrumental in creating their early 15-8 lead. Southwest would continue to be aggressive but without being able to capitalize on turnovers, they were unable to close the gap as Ridley led at the end of the 1st quarter, 19-11.

Southwest's offence certainly came together in the 2nd quarter but they struggled to find a way to contain Jaden Bediako in the paint. The 6’10 center was a menace on the offensive and defensive end making shots and swatting a few shots away at the rim. Southwest’s Quinton Duckworth had a few of his own highlight-worthy blocks, but once Ridley’s Aleks Simeunovic got his offence going they were a hard team to stop. Late in the quarter Southwest’s offense caught fire through transition play; even cutting Ridley's lead down to 37-36 with less than 30 seconds left. However, a quick defensive response from Ridley’s Cameron Bett prevented them from pulling in front. Ridley led 37-36 at the half.

Southwest came out pushing the ball offensively and this allowed them to speed up the pace for the first portion of the 3rd quarter. Ridley responded by matching their pace while continuing to exploit their size advantage down-low which resulted in their lead extending to 8-points midway through the frame. Despite the deficit, Southwest’s Xavier Ochu had no intention of letting his team fall further behind and energized the offense through clutch shots and accurate ball distribution. Suddenly, Southwest had a 57-56 lead in the last 2 minutes. Their lead, however, was fairly short lived as Ridley were able to draw a number of fouls to put them at the line and regain the lead at 62-59 to end the quarter.

To begin the fourth, Ridley College came out on a 12-2 run to keep momentum on their side and take a 13-point lead; the largest of the game at that point. Southwest responded with a 5-0 run but just as Ridley had been doing all night, they came back with another run and even extended their initial lead to 18. In the dying minutes of the match, Southwest would catch fire as they put together an impressive run through defensive pressure, forcing turnovers on virtually every possession. Dakelle Brooks racked up 6 straight points to end the game. However, the clock would be their enemy as they eventually left the Ridley College gym with a 91-79 loss.

Ridley College’s victory brings them back within range of a .500 record and a top-5 position on the OSBA standings. They have only won 1 road game all season so their next trip to Bill Crothers S.S will be an interesting challenge. The game is scheduled for February 7th, tip-off at 7pm. Southwest Academy have had a tough start to 2017, losing 4 of 5 games in the new year. Their next contest comes against Lincoln Prep and they will be excited to get revenge on the team that handed them their first loss of the season. The game is scheduled for February 8th, tip-off at  7pm.