The Lady Knights had a historic season no matter what the outcome was on the night of February 18th. With a loss to Hesperia Christian 38-24 the Knights looked as if they were playing nervous and hadn’t ever played in a game of this magnitude. The Lady Knights scored their first two points off of free throws and didn’t earn their first field goal until mid-way through the second quarter. They had a lot to live up to; history however, can never be taken away from them as they were the first team ever to compete in a CIF playoff game representing Riverside Preparatory. Vanessa Keys earned a double-double with eleven points and sixteen rebounds. Tiara Rolland was a machine inside all year for the Lady Knights as she would finish up the game with sixteen rebounds. Breena Ladao finished up her career as a Knight with four points and two steals. The senior leadership she offered throughout her time spent on the team will be missed and she left the gym after her final high school game with her head held high. Hesperia Christian was the Agape League champions and were ranked at the number 6 seed going into the playoffs. Coach Ronnie of the Knights said after the game, “This is our first season (in CIF) and we have set an excellent foundation for success. I have no doubt that we will be back even stronger next season. I am so proud of my girls and want to congratulate them on a great accomplishment.” With only one senior on the team coach Ronnie has all of his main players returning. The Lady Knights finished of the great season with a 17-5 record and hope to improve and go even further next year. “The sky is the limit for this team,” Ronnie said when I spoke to him last Thursday. After they went 1-2 in their first three games of the season the ladies fought through nagging injuries, a season ending injury to Marinna Jacques, and ended up going on a run at one point holding a 14 game winning streak. They never gave up and always played hard until the final buzzer. The team played together with emotion and determination and as young as they are, they still have two to three more years to play and improve talent wise as a team. Coach Ronnie Hillary has created a steady basketball program that has the chance to compete more and more for the up and coming years. The school will only get bigger and better as plans to open a larger campus for the 2010-2011 school year is already in the works. Congratulations to the 2009-2010 Lady Silver Knights on their accomplishments in competing in the CIF playoffs for the first time in the school’s history, it was well deserved and much earned.
Written by: Ryan Libby RPSN
