Rivers Girls Win Holiday Tournament
12/22/2009
The Rivers girls' basketball team won the 40th annual Rivers Holiday Tournament Saturday, defeating Pingree 49-24 in the championship game. Meanwhile, the boys’ team found success as well, defeating Millbrook and Pingree to advance to the Saturday final, which they ultimately lost 60-52 to Milton.
The atmosphere in MacDowell Arena was spirited but friendly, with throngs of fans from the Rivers community and beyond. “We had a great turnout from students, alumni, and faculty,” says athletics director Jim McNally. “This support really helped maintain the excitement that the tournament has built over the years.”
The girls’ team, which is now 2-0 in the ISL and 4-1 overall, made it look easy in the championship game Saturday. They coasted to a 32-12 lead at half-time thanks to Tournament MVP Tayra Melendez ’12, who scored 20 first-half points and finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six steals.
Their first game against Milton Academy had been more difficult, as Milton came back from the Redwings’ early lead to force overtime. Rivers won 47-42, with strong performances from Megan Kerbs ’12 (16 points), Melendez (13), and Clare Sullivan ’11 (10 rebounds). All-Tournament honoree Shannon McSweeney ’10 played tenacious defense during the contest, holding Milton star Katherine Murray to five points. “The girls kept their composure through a tough game like that,” says coach Bob Pipe. “I’m really proud of our team and how the players have come together so far this year.”
The boys had impressive victories over Millbrook (64-54) and Pingree (40-35) and played a close-fought championship final against a formidable Milton team. Taariq Allen ’11 averaged 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game over the weekend to earn All-Tournament honors, while the team also got solid playing from John Bullitt ’10 (6.7 rebounds per game) and Kyle Reardon ’12 (11.7 points per game). “It was fantastic to advance to the final,” boys’ coach Andrew Mirken said, “and having [MacDowell Arena] packed with so many people was such a great motivation for us.”