Raiders start fast, hold on for win a State Fair

SEDALIA, Mo. — It's always sweet to get a win after a loss. However, Saturday's 76-71 win over State Fair Saturday was even sweeter than usual for the Three Rivers College men's basketball team.

Three days after losing sophomore guard Makur Jongkuch to a broken leg in a loss at Moberly Area, the Raiders scored the game's first 12 points and then held off several charges by the host Roadrunners for their second Region XVI win of the season.

“We got off to a 12-0 start because these guys are playing for Mak,” Three Rivers head coach Brian Bess said.

Another reason Saturday's win was sweet is because it avenges a Dec. 7 overtime home loss to the Roadrunners that arguably was one of the low points of Three Rivers' season. That loss was part of a five-game Raiders losing streak to end 2022.

However, since the start of 2023, the Raiders (9-11, 2-3 XVI) have won four of their six games, including a 2-1 record against Region XVI competition.

Saturday night, Three Rivers shut out the Roadrunners for the game's first 5:29, building up a 12-0 lead. However, State Fair (7-14, 1-4) did not go away, whittling the lead down to 30-27 by the intermission.

The Raiders used a 9-1 spur midway through the second half to take a 58-46 lead on Hosana Kitenge's basket with 8:14 left in the game, but State Fair ran off eight points in a row to get back within four points.

The Roadrunners cut the Three Rivers lead to 69-67 with just over two minutes to go, but the Raiders made 13 of their 15 free throws on the night to preserve the win.

Mo Niang led the Raiders with 22 points, while Lamont Jackson and Hosana Kitenge each had 15, Mario Fleming had 14 and Caleb Young finished with 10. Young led Three River with seven rebounds, while Kitenge dished off a team-high six assists.

“Caleb Young and Mario Fleming had really good games for us,” Bess said.

Dalton Gayman paced State Fair with 17 points, while Elijah Bernstein had 14, Jules Bikoy added 13 and Devon Ellis chipped in 11.

Three Rivers is back in action Saturday when it hosts Mineral Area in a Region XVI contest. Mineral Area won the first matchup 75-51 last month in Park Hills.

“It should be a better game,” Bess said. “We have to handle their pressure. They are a really good defensive team.”

WOMEN

Three Rivers 86, State Fair 67

In the women's game at Sedalia, the Lady Raiders scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to break open a close game and improve to 15-2 on the season — and 5-1 against Region XVI competition.

Three Rivers led 21-15 after the opening period, then scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to take an 18-point lead and seize control of the game.

It was the third win in a row for the Lady Raiders, who head to Hillsboro Wednesday to take on Region XVI foe Jefferson.

Mailya Bergdorf and Da'Kariya Jackson paced the Lady Raiders with 19 points apiece, while Amiya Johnson added 13. Da'Kariya Jackson also had seven rebounds, five assists and seven steals. As a team, Three Rivers had 24 steals on the night, as Johnson, Ahniya Melton, Tameia Shaw and Niaisya Ervin each had three.

Bergdorf also had a team-high eight rebounds.

Aiyanna Tanksley led State Fair with 22 points, while Biance Stocks added 14 and Autumn Wallace had 11.