The River View Raiders will head out to face off against the Union Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
River View is headed into the contest having just suffered their biggest defeat since March 6, 2024 on Saturday. They had to suffer through a 60-33 loss at the hands of Tug Valley. The matchup marked the Raiders' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
| 01/18/25 @ Tug Valley | 16 |
| 01/17/25 vs Greenbrier West | 16 |
| 01/14/25 @ Liberty | 15 |
| 01/02/25 @ Hurley | 18 |
| 12/30/24 vs Greenbrier West | 16 |
Despite the loss, River View saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kaci Hatfield posted 16 points in addition to six boards and three steals. Hatfield's afternoon made it five games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Chasity Kennedy was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds.
Even though they lost, River View smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Union was not able to break out of their rough patch last Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were dealt a 73-20 loss at the hands of Tucker County. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' West Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Mountain Lions are ranked 21st).
River View will need focus on slowing down Chanelle Sutton, one of several Union players who made an impact when they last played. She earned five points along with nine boards and three steals. Sutton is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down nine or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Bailey Casteel, who scored four points and five boards.
Union's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for River View, they have been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: River View hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 56.3 points per game. It's a different story for Union, though, as they've been averaging only 36.7 points. The only thing between River View and another offensive beatdown is Union. Will they be able to keep them contained?
River View strolled past Union in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 by a score of 65-46. Does River View have another victory up their sleeve, or will Union turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
