State-ranked Anna fights off Riverside’s comeback

Riverside sent a scare into the fifth-ranked team in the state Monday, but the Pirates were unable to make it to the finish line.

The Pirates rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit to climb to within three points of visiting Anna in the third quarter.

However, the Rockets withstood the threat to hold on for a 72-57 win in a girls non-league basketball game.

“We just ran out of gas,” said Riverside head coach Dean Sanford. “We tried to keep cycling fresh players in and kept going at them, but Anna is a great team. They are ranked fifth in the state for a reason.”

Anna, ranked fifth in the latest Division III state poll, improves its record to 16-1. Riverside falls to 9-7.

“We can take a lot of positives from this game,” said Sanford. “The girls put forth a great effort and I’m proud of every one of them.”

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