River Dell Varsity Girls Basketball Team extends winning streak to five games after victory over Mahwah

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Girls Basketball Team(8-1, 4-0 Big North Patriot) extended their winning streak to five games in a 73-58 victory over the Mahwah Thunderbirds(6-5, 2-2 Big North Patriot) at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

The unity of the River Dell team was evident as all five starters finished in double figures. Morgan Sconza led the way with a game-high 21 points, including five trifectas. Kasey Ziegler, Dalia Interiano, and Val Visconti each contributed 12 points, and Kayla DePol added 11 points, showcasing the team's collective effort and shared success.

"We wanted to start strong from the beginning and we knew Mahwah was going to be tough team and beat us last year," Morgan Sconza described. "We wanted to show them we're a different team this year and ready to battle."

"We're making big shots again, getting second chance opportunities because of our rebounding." "We're stopping teams by playing great defense." "We keep shutting them down and that's why we're scoring so many points."

"It's definitely been a huge year for me and I'm just grateful to put the uniform on and get to play with some of my best friends and my last year here at River Dell, so I want to make the most out of it." "I want to bring home a league championship, inspire the underclassmen and get them ready for the years to come in the future and leave my foot on the gas pedal the whole season."

"It was nice to have a big crowd and a lot of younger kids and again all our families, friends and grandparents cheering us on and even if we're down there always going to be clapping and cheering us on and it's great and want to put a show on for them."

The Golden Hawks jumped out to a 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Four players supplied most of the scoring, led by Dalia Interiano, who netted five points. River Dell established an early inside presence in the paint and low post by rebounding the ball effectively, leading to second-chance opportunities and distributing the ball around the perimeter.

"I thought we shared the ball very and almost too unselfish at times," River Dell Head Coach Lindsay Steffner explained. "They overpassed the ball a little bit more than I like but it's a good problem to have."

"Our goal in the first quarter was really to look for inside opportunities then get a kick out for an open shot against their zone and definitely one of our points of emphasis and they only had one big kid in the middle so crashing the boards was very important."

Morgan Sconza, at the first-quarter start, said, "We saw Mahwah come out in a zone and knew they had small guards all around. We also knew our Bigs would have a field day." "Kasey and Val did great looking and turning towards the basket and getting those easy layups." "We did a great job of moving the ball, keeping our composure on defense, and had great energy."

In the second quarter, the Golden Hawks came blasting out of the gates with a 7-0 spurt to widen the margin to 22-8. River Dell kept the relentless pressure up, resulting in a 33-10 advantage.

The Golden Hawks sizzled from behind the arc, hitting three trifectas with Morgan Sconza knocking down two. Kasey Ziegler continued dominating in the low block and delivered six points; Kayla DePol totaled seven.

However, the Thunderbirds returned with a run to trim the deficit to 38-25 at halftime. Mahwah heated up from downtown, burying three triples.

"We had to go into the second quarter with the same mindset and did a great job sticking to our game plan by moving the ball and finding open people," Morgan Sconza noted. "Overall, everyone just contributed and did a great job knocking down their shots and rebounding."

Once the third quarter got underway, Mahwah seized upon the momentum they had in the second by pulling to within 45-39 with six minutes remaining. The Thunderbirds were red-hot from the outside, sinking three trifectas and led by Bella Moffit, chalking up eight points.

River Dell could withstand the storm as Morgan Sconza and Dalia Interiano converted back-to-back layups. Sconza poured eight points and fired on all cylinders from long range by burying two more threes. Hope Arturi provided a burst of energy off the bench by canning a critical trey to boost the margin to 55-42.

"That was a huge three and really kind of shifted the momentum back in our favor because it was back and forth and we felt a bit tired," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner stated. "We started to reach on defense, and they started getting more comfortable."

"Hope draining that three was a real crowd pleaser and got us back into the momentum where we came down and got two consecutive steals and we could run clock down a little bit more and in our favor."

In the fourth quarter, the Golden Hawks exploded again with a 7-0 blitz, expanding their lead to 62-45. Mahwah refused to throw in the white towel, exhibiting a full-court press and committing fouls.

River Dell maintained its composure in handling the ball while hitting its free throws. Dalia Interiano led the way, knocking five out of six shots at the charity stripe line as the Golden Hawks cruised to the win.

"In the past we had trouble scoring and that's not the problem this year and a fun and dynamic offense and they're doing it on the defensive end," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner remarked. "When I change defenses, they're on the same page with me and really excitable group to watch."

"We talked about clock management and even how to play down the stretch of each quarter and limiting other team's possessions and had that conversation multiple times already." "Part of it's at the end of the game situation and there are a lot of positives to take away and learning happening."

"Mahwah is a very good team, and they have some players that can really light it up and they broke down our defense at times when I wasn't expecting it to, and they found some holes and a reason why they won the league last year, but it was a big win for us."

The Golden Hawks face a crucial stretch with four out of five away games but a significant test against Ramapo at River Dell High School on Thursday, January 23rd, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

"We have talked about this week coming up and important as far as setting the standard," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner mentioned. "We have the county seeding coming up next Sunday and our expectations are to be in the top eight and a bye." "The team understands the goals and I have the seniors leading and five in a row is nice and we're enjoying ourselves at practice."

"We have our Youth Day coming up on February 11th, and it will be nice to see all the kids in the stands and see them get excited for our players, too." "I have gotten a lot of emails over the last couple of weeks saying, "Coach, I took my daughter to a game, and I can't believe how fast and aggressive your girls play. They are fun to watch and have smiles on their faces."

"As a coach that is something you want and really wish for and to make sure with the leadership on and off the court and providing that role model whether it's in the middle school younger kids and they want to be like our kids and doesn't get better with the role models I have on the team."

"Every practice we're kind of mentally preparing for the games on the road and I always tell them we're playing five to ten points behind, and you can't be comfortable on the road and just takes a different focus and take every game day by day."