River Dell Varsity Girls Basketball Team pushes winning streak to five in victory over Mahwah on Senior Night

The River Dell Golden Hawks Varsity Girls Basketball Team (16-4, 8-1 Big North Patriot) extended its winning streak to five games. The team earned a 58-45 victory over the Mahwah Thunderbirds (13-8, 6-3 Big North Patriot) on Senior Night at River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey. With this win, the Golden Hawks clinched a share of the Big North Patriot League Title, making the night even more memorable.

Leading the Golden Hawks, Hope Arturi scored a game-high 15 points and sank five three-pointers. Alexa De Pol and Dalia Interiano each contributed 14 points, illustrating the team's balanced offensive execution.

Head Coach Lindsay Steffner reflected on the significance of the win and clinching the Big North Patriot League Title: "We talk about 'black and gold blood,' which means embracing team spirit and our program's tradition. It’s wonderful to see the girls enjoying themselves and building great memories. That’s what it’s all about. I’m incredibly proud of them."

The mood was celebratory as, before tip-off, seniors Val Visconti, Maddie Roth, Alexa De Pol, Kayleigh Windram, Delaney Kristan, Ava Guiterrez, and team managers Fallon Grebla and Dana Canady were recognized with their families in a moving pre-game presentation.

Head Coach Lindsay Steffner reflected on the pregame ceremony honoring the seniors: "It’s special to celebrate with these people and to share that moment with the parents. They’ve watched their daughters play since second or third grade. Seeing it come to a culmination gives them closure."

Coach Steffner added, "The seniors are fun and don’t take things too seriously. They work extremely hard. Each has a unique leadership style and enjoys being together, both on the court and the bench. They often hang out together, building a team culture any coach would want. I can suggest ideas, but they take the initiative. They laugh, have a great sense of humor, and always respond to my coaching with respect. Afterward, they work even harder."

Her appreciation continued: "I’m grateful and blessed to coach these athletes. They are tough, disciplined, and always give their all in practice and games," Coach Steffner said.

Coach Steffner, a River Dell alum, added, "Having played here makes helping to continue this tradition even more meaningful to me. Carrying on the legacy created by former coaches who devoted significant time and effort to this program is an honor."

She continued, "There’s an old-school feel with the black and gold and the banners. Mr. Denis Nelson built a strong foundation. Mr. Mike Tota continues that legacy. There’s great pride in this program, even before I took over. Since the 1970s, there have only been five or six head coaches. It’s a wonderful place to coach. It’s a fantastic environment for the players. It’s truly a dream job. I’m happy to be here."

River Dell trailed 5-4 with under five minutes remaining in the first quarter before unleashing a 9-0 surge over three minutes. Alexa De Pol caught fire from beyond the arc, drilling consecutive three-pointers. Dalia Interiano also converted a three-pointer.

Building on their offense, the Golden Hawks' rigid defense soon locked down, forcing the Thunderbirds to turn the ball over and commit traveling violations. Mahwah, however, remained resilient, answering with a 5-0 spurt to trim the advantage at the end of the first quarter.

"We didn’t start strong, and they took advantage," Steffner explained. "Once we began hitting outside shots and they switched to man-to-man defense—which isn’t their usual style—we initially struggled to adjust inside. However, the team responded well to the new challenge."

In the second quarter, River Dell excelled from long range. Hope Arturi hit a three-pointer, and Alexa De Pol nailed her third triple. Val Visconti spun in the paint and banked in a shot off the glass, finishing an 8-0 run.

Once again, the Thunderbirds responded with another 5-0 run to narrow the gap. Still, Hope Arturi stemmed the tide by canning her second three-pointer of the game, helping maintain River Dell's momentum and composure.

Mahwah then ignited another rebuttal with a 7-0 spurt that sliced the Golden Hawks' advantage to 25-22 at halftime, setting the stage for a thrilling and competitive second half.

"Mahwah is gritty and well-coached," Steffner noted. "They kept attacking and displayed strong senior leadership. I told our girls before the game that Mahwah would make a run and would not give up the league title easily. I reminded them throughout to keep playing as hard as possible regardless of the score."

In the third quarter, the Thunderbirds reduced the margin to 25-24 with six and a half minutes remaining, but Hope Arturi connected on her third three-pointer. Meanwhile, Alexa De Pol stayed hot, netting her fourth triple to stretch River Dell's lead to 31-25 at the four-minute mark, restoring the Golden Hawks’ cushion.

The Golden Hawks capitalized on defensive stops, forcing turnovers and converting steals into transition layups. Aggressive drives to the basket drew fouls and trips to the free-throw line, fueling a 9-0 run for a 37-25 lead at the two-and-a-half-minute mark.

River Dell maintained its offensive pressure. Hope Arturi buried her fourth three-pointer of the game, and Alexa De Pol drove the length of the court for a layup, extending the Golden Hawks' lead to 45-30 at the end of the period and maintaining their momentum.

Once the fourth quarter began, Hope Arturi continued her hot shooting from beyond the arc, sinking her fifth three-pointer of the game to make it 48-34 and maintain River Dell’s momentum heading into the final minutes.

"Hope did a fantastic job," Steffner said. "People usually notice her points, but defensively, she was outstanding—especially stopping Mahwah when they drove to the basket. I felt that last three-pointer she hit was the dagger that secured our win."

As the final frame unfolded, Dalia Interiano took over, first distributing the ball to Val Visconti for back-to-back buckets, then knocking down four free throws to hold off a late Mahwah surge and secure the victory.

"Having the ball in Dalia’s hands was key for us," Steffner said. "She was able to break through Mahwah's defense, especially when they tried to foul her late in the game. Dalia’s court vision is tremendous, and her ability to pass allowed Val to get open for crucial baskets and she had a lot of assists tonight and not too many turnovers and played a solid game again."

“I don’t think we finished the game overly well, and we got to work on some things there and that’s on me and I got to get them in the position to be confident with the ball in their hands down the stretch.”