River Dell Varsity Girls Basketball Team extends winning streak to four with convincing victory over Indian Hills

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Girls Basketball Team (15-4, 7-1 Big North Patriot) extended its winning streak to four games. They earned a commanding 55-30 victory against the Indian Hills Braves (7-15, 0-8 Big North Patriot) at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey.

Val Visconti tallied a game-high 15 points, while Hope Arturi and Maddie Roth each delivered 12 points.

River Dell trailed 5-4 with less than six minutes left in the first quarter. Then they erupted for a 16-0 run. Val Visconti set the tone early by slashing into the low post. She drew fouls for free throws and finished layups, scoring 8 points in the quarter.

Meanwhile, Maddie Roth collected six points, benefiting from Val Visconti delivering a couple of precision passes.

The Golden Hawks also launched from behind the arc. Emma Yeandle filled in for injured Alexa De Pol in the starting lineup and nailed a trifecta that bounced off the rim with flair. Hope Arturi drilled a triple.

River Dell’s swarming full-court and press defense held Indian Hills scoreless for over five minutes. The Golden Hawks intercepted passes, aggressively denied lane penetration at every opportunity, and forced rushed perimeter attempts with suffocating closeouts. Only with less than 20 seconds left did the Braves manage to score, capitalizing on a rare defensive lapse.

Head Coach Lindsay Steffner on the opening start: "I talked about needing extra leadership from Emma without Alexa. It’s not a lot of time to switch gears. We had to prepare for a different lineup and change matchups around." "This happened an hour before tip-off. She took that role on very positively." "The team gets better as the game goes on. It’s just confidence. They’re really used to playing with each other, and you can see it on the court." "They pass the ball well, unselfishly, and fight for offensive rebounds." "Val and Maddie find each other really well and have a good time doing it."

We wanted to get Indian Hills off its rhythm. Our goal was to put more pressure on their guards. That way, they couldn’t get into their offenses as easily. They’re young, spunky, and have some talent in shooting the deep ball. We saw that on film. I wanted to get the press on right away, after a made shot or a dead ball. We started making some shots.

In the second quarter, River Dell widened the gap. Hope Arturi canned her second shot from downtown, and Val Visconti netted four points. The Golden Hawks held a decisive 30-11 halftime advantage.

“I felt our defense was good. I wanted the team to get a bit more comfortable against the zone," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner explained. "I wanted them to work on ball movement and press a little bit more." "I thought everyone who got into the game did a great job. I was happy with how fast our defense was at closing and anticipating what was happening.” "There were a lot of steals on the backside of the plays. They were on the perimeter a lot more than they’re used to and did a great job.”

Once the third quarter began, River Dell quickly stretched the lead. Interiano drilled a triple. Val Visconti then swiped the ball at midcourt and sprinted to the bucket for a layup off glass. However, after Interiano collected her fourth foul, Indian Hills answered with a 10-2 run.

The Golden Hawks halted the Braves’ momentum when Mollie Irving drilled a trey with two and a half minutes left. Hope Arturi, locked in from behind the arc, buried her third three-pointer. River Dell surged ahead to 43-21 by the end of the period.

“I love the fact that Mollie wanted to take that shot. That was exactly what we needed her to do,” Head Coach Lindsay Steffner noted. "She’s been a little gun-shy lately, taking those outside shots, but she wanted to do that. Knocking down that shot was a big boost for us."

In the fourth quarter, the Golden Hawks were sizzling from long range. Hope Arturi started the barrage with her fourth trifecta of the game. Emma Yeandle added her second triple. Maddie Roth capped off the impressive performance by banking a trey off the glass late.

"The girls have responded ever since the Saddle River Day game. They’ve had a different level of focus," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner described. "We’ve been focusing on the league and prepping every single day to reach their goals. They understand what it takes, the matchups, and are locked in right now. We want to finish the last two league games on a high note.”

River Dell is back in action on Thursday, February 12th at River Dell High School, hosting the Mahwah Thunderbirds (13-7, 6-2 Big North Patriot). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. More importantly, it’s Senior Night. Seniors Val Visconti, Alexa De Pol, Maddie Roth, Ava Guiterrez, Delaney Kristan, and Kayleigh Windram will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

"Senior Night is always a special night. It’s not just the kids, but their families," Head Coach Lindsay Steffner mentioned. "It’s a big commitment for a high school athlete and parents to be recognized as part of the program. They’ve supported me and the girls. It’s a nice way to involve the entire community and celebrate the girls’ accomplishments and commitment over four years. The girls are excited about that and are looking forward to a good fan base on Thursday night. We also have two managers, Fallon Grebla and Dana Canady, who have been with us for four years. We want to celebrate them as well. They do a lot behind the scenes that I’m proud of. The girls did a phenomenal job being good role models, improving every year, and taking on leadership roles as student-athletes here at River Dell.” “They embodied that spirit whether playing one minute or the whole game. At the end of the day, they wear that varsity letter and have pride in our program.”

“I’m proud of this group. They’re a great group, and we’ll miss them. But we’re obviously not done yet. It’s a double-edged sword. You must be emotional about the night and ready to celebrate. We’re playing for a league title at this point. We need to get this win.”