River Dell Varsity Girls Basketball Team wins a thriller against Ramsey

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Girls Basketball Team(12-4, 6-0 Big North Patriot) won their second game in a row in exciting fashion, 55-51, against Ramsey(10-7, 3-3 Big North Patriot) at Ramsey High School High in Ramsey, New Jersey. This victory secured their second consecutive win and solidified their position at the top of the Big North Patriot standings, showcasing their potential for the upcoming playoffs.

Val Visconti poured in a game-high 19 points, while Morgan Sconza supplied 16. Sconza's contribution was particularly noteworthy, as she scored crucial points and knocked down the dramatic game-winning jump shot with less than ten seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

"Morgan is coachable, she's a leader, very good basketball player and one of the hardest workers in practice and what you want from your senior leaders," River Dell Head Coach Lindsay Steffner explained. "I assumed Ramsey wasn't going to allow her to get the ball and I was just as she was shocked to be able to get the ball so easily and I'm confident if we go into overtime, but I knew she would get a high percentage shot up." "Morgan saw the lane and that's a great shot for her to take."

"Both she and Kasey(Ziegler) have the drive and work ethic, say and do the right things, have a voice in the locker room, and have a considerable presence, and I couldn't be prouder.

"It makes coaching fun to coaching fun to come out with a win and grateful that our girls stuck together and play together really well." "They like each other on and off the court and you're in these types of situations win or lose they're a fun group to coach and have each other's back and, in the huddle, say the right things."

"They're encouraging each other, and when Morgan hits that last shot, they couldn't be happier for her in the locker room and how clutch she was to take that shot, and that's where we promote the senior leadership we've been talking about.

River Dell fell behind in the first quarter, just as it did against Pascack Valley in the Bergen County Tournament Round of 16, and sizzling three-point shooting was the common theme.

"Teams have been doing that to us recently and coming out really hot shooting," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner described. "I tell the team we got to be ready to play defense from the opening tap."

The Golden Hawks trailed 16-11 at the end of the quarter, but Ramsey extended their lead quickly to 19-11 early in the second quarter, burying their fourth trifecta.

However, River Dell righted the ship behind the exceptional play of Val Visconti, muscling her way into the low post for layups and back-to-back buckets and getting to the free-throw line.

"That was kind of our game plan to get high percentage shot because their defense was really good, but we wanted to exploit as far as the low post game and where we could attack," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner noted. "We just kept pounding into the low block and trying to out physical and gritty them."

Dalia Interiano then canned a corner trey, putting the Golden Hawks ahead 22-20 for the first time since early in the first quarter. River Dell's stifling defense caused the Rams to go scoreless for four minutes.

Ramsey briefly went up 23-22 before Morgan Sconza hit a jump shot that put the Golden Hawks up 24-23 at halftime.

"I thought both teams played a phenomenal half of basketball, and I had nothing to correct to be honest for probably the first time all season and we played outstanding," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner stated. "Ramsey hit some really tough shots that we couldn't adjust, and we needed to get close outs on the perimeter a little more and faster."

"I told the team we got to wear them down and keep being more physical and keeping with the physicality and hustle plays and that don't show up in the box score and what we preach." "We had multiple blocks and a lot of deflections." "Doing the little things that add up to the big things."

"Having that type of intensity and even Kasey diving out of bounds and making those intense and gritty hustle plays, and we don't practice them." "That's the way we need to play in those tough situations and where it's going to be a one possession game, and every possession matters and take that really to heart."

Once the third quarter got underway, River Dell gained the upper hand with balanced scoring, and Morgan Sconza drained a pair of shots from behind the arc that widened the Golden Hawks' advantage to double digits at 39-29. Heading into the fourth quarter, River Dell led 39-32.

In the fourth quarter, Ramsey continued their exemplary shooting from downtown as Charlotte Auty(13 points) drilled her third trifecta of the game as the Rams closed the gap to 39-35.

The Golden Hawks could withstand the response, as Val Visconti dominated inside the paint and low post, banking a jumper off the glass. Visconti tallied eight more points, and River Dell upped the margin to 47-41.

"I couldn't be prouder of Val's evolution and has been fast and furious," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner mentioned. "When you see a kid who we really didn't know as a freshman, and she's got the size and strength and natural athleticism." "To see her develop at this point and where she's at and give us the minutes and give points, rebounding and guarding teams top post player."

"She's got the speed, agility and great hands and just a matter of putting the whole thing together this year and really blossomed." "She's very coachable, listens and really wants to do well and motivated herself to the point where she doesn't back down and got fouled pretty hard." "She keeps going and that's earing and physicality for 32 minutes and a credit to her personality and drive and she's come a long way and developed into a really outstanding composed player."

The action resembled a playoff atmosphere, and the physicality picked up in earnest as the quarter progressed, with referees calling numerous fouls. Both fan bases engaged in heated rhetoric and voiced their displeasure with the refs.

The Rams refused to throw in the white towel, as they ignited a rebuttal by driving to the rim for a pair of layups. Then, Hannah McGurr stroked a trey to tie the game up at 51-51 with 24 seconds remaining.

That set the stage for Morgan Sconza's heroics off an inbounds play. Sconza got the ball, then dribbled into the paint and hoisted up a high-arching shot that found the back of the basket. Dalia Interiano sealed the victory by sinking two free throws.

"I thought that was Dalia's best game of the season overall and best defense effort, and she played outstandingly," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner cited. "She put a lot of pressure on their ball handler, so they couldn't get into an offense comfortably." She wears down teams because of her speed, agility, and getting her hands on the ball." 'She was able to drive and get some high percentage shots inside the key."

"She was able to get offensive rebounds and had six assists and those aren't the easiest passes and developed into a really good passer and can obviously handle the ball and can shoot."

The Golden Hawks return home on Thursday, February 6th, hosting the Westwood Cardinals(11-7, 4-2 Big North Patriot). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey. Westwood is on fire, having won nine out of ten games.

"They're playing hot and got (Cameron) Roche back from an injury and she's a very good player," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner said. "Westwood has the ability to shoot the ball from deep just like Ramsey and have some tall kids in (Great)Gashler and very good player and a senior and get to the rim and lethal offensively." "It's going to be a really good game and last time they had us on the ropes."

"Last year we lost to Westwood and that was a difference maker in our standings, and I remind the team of that." "It was hard getting past Ramsey, and we have a target on our backs, and everyone wants to beat us."

"Every game right now is difference maker and in the league standings and how we're playing and comes down to our state standing as well." "Each game matters and people are coming after us."