South Bend Riley entered Tuesday's game against Concord with a 5-1 record. The season is all about getting better for head coach Mark Johnson and he feels his team made another step with its win over Concord.
Riley wasted no time establishing its control against Concord. Junior guard Nate Marino knocked down three first quarter three pointers and Riley was off and rolling. Marino started it while sophomore Damezi Anderson kept Riley charging forward. Anderson scored seven points in the opening period on his way to a game-high 21 points.
Concord trailed by 15 points after the first quarter. The Minutemen played well in the second period. The rally was led by junior guard Denzel Halliburton. Halliburton helped cut into Riley's lead. He scored 11 points in the quarter. Halliburton was a bright spot for Concord the entire game.
Unfortunately for Concord, Riley regained its focus before halftime. Anderson converted a couple of three pointers to push Riley's lead back to 14 points at the mid-game break.
Concord was not able to mount a comeback in the second half. Sophomore forward Shamar Dillard was much more aggressive in the second half after going scoreless in the first half. Dillard scored eight points in the second half. Roland Austin played well on the glass throughout the game for Riley.
At 6-1 Riley is one of the best teams in Indiana this season. The future is even brighter as Riley started sophomores Damezi Anderson, Shamar Dillard and Rylen Grundy. The Wildcats also played freshmen Dar'suan Kirk, Jalen Jennings and Gabe Johnson in the game.
"The key to everything we do, it's a process...I feel that we are getting better every single time that we step out on the floor," said Riley head coach Mark Johnson.
Riley - Damezi Anderson 21 points (6-16 FG, 3-8 3FG, 4-5 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, Nate Marino 12 points (4-6 3FG), Shamar Dillard 8 points, 3 rebounds, Maurice Scott 8 points, 4 assists, Rylen Grundy 8 points, 4 rebounds, Marion Taylor 2 points, 5 rebounds, Roland Austin 8 points, 7 rebounds, Jalen Jennings 2 points, Dar'suan Kirk 4 points, 2 rebounds
Concord - Denzel Halliburton 20 points (9-16 FG), Brandon Emerick 8 points, Marvell Danner 3 points, Michael Johnson 2 points, Grant Magnuson 6 points, Nathan Hermon 5 points, Cedric Mitchell 3 points, 7 rebounds