Riverview uses size, physical game to defeat rival Springdale in boys basketball showdown

By: Josh Rizzo
Friday, January 3, 2025 | 10:01 PM

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Matt Orbin was reminded all week by Riverview boys basketball coach Dre Corbin to be ready to pound the glass against rival Springdale. The Raiders had a size advantage that Corbin believed would be necessary to exploit if Riverview was going to win the Section 2-2A matchup Friday night at home.

Thanks to the effort of Orbin, who grabbed five offensive rebounds, and fellow big man Miles Sigal, the Raiders had plenty of extra opportunities that they desperately needed during a 44-39 win.

“We kept stealing the ball from them,” Orbin said. “I missed some offensive rebounds. Even when I missed some, Miles was wide open. We kept looking down in the post. We hadn’t done that the last few games.”

Riverview (5-5, 3-1) needed more opportunities to score because the Raiders couldn’t coax the ball into the basket. Neither team could.

In the first half, both teams failed to make a 3-pointer. Riverview didn’t have a player who scored in double figures. Noah Vespi led the team with nine points, and Sigal finished with eight.

Corbin said being aggressive is what kept the Raiders alive.

“They were active on the boards, and we talked all week was attacking the offensive board with our bigs,” Corbin said. “They did a great job with it. We’d like to see them finish better. If they are going to be that aggressive, good things are going to happen more times than not.”

The Raiders led 16-15 at halftime. Springdale (8-3, 2-2) battled back after the break. The Dynamos saw their first two treys drop in.

Pat Wylly made one right after the break to put Springdale ahead 18-16. Robby Simmen, who scored 10 points for the Dynamos, made another a few minutes later to give Springdale its final lead at 21-19.

Vespi put Riverview ahead for good, 22-21, with a layup with 4 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third quarter. It turned into a 6-0 run when Sigal followed up with buckets in the paint.

Springdale coach Scott Ruppert said his team could have responded better to the game’s physical nature.

“I thought our players may not have given them the respect they deserved,” Ruppert said. “We had a good year to start the year. I think our players came in a little bit out of focus today. Our goal today was to box out. They are a well-sized team.”

Springdale didn’t make things easy late in the game. Landon Linderman came off the bench to make a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to cut the deficit to 41-38. When Riverview missed two free throws, the Dynamos got the ball with a chance to take the lead.

However, an errant Springdale pass was stolen by Levi Roupas, who was fouled.

“It felt like the longest game ever,” Orbin said. “Especially being a rival. I’ve been here for four years. We haven’t beaten them.”

Corbin said Riverview played like it knew what was at stake in this game.

“We’re not oblivious to the lay of the land when it comes to our section and what we have to do to make the playoffs,” Corbin said. “Especially with how competitive the top two or three spots can be in our section. It’s also a rivalry game, so we wanted to take care of business.”

Liam Dexter led Springdale with 14 points.

Ruppert said the Dynamos will be happy to have a chance to refocus.

“We’ve had a great stretch to start the year,” Ruppert said. “I think we achieved more than we thought we could achieve. Now that we have seen a loss to our rival, it’s going to fuel the fire. We will be a much different team when they come to our home floor on Jan. 28.”

Tags: Riverview, Springdale