When you’re on a hot streak, even adverse moments can be shrugged off as minor details. Riverside encountered bus trouble while battling a late-afternoon snowstorm that hit Lake County on its way down to Kenston for a Western Reserve Conference matchup Jan. 14 and finally arrived at 6:55, well after the JV game was supposed to be under way. A solution was devised so both the varsity and JV could be played at the same time, with the JV game taking place in Kenston’s auxiliary gym. In the main gym, Riverside’s varsity took control almost right from the beginning and picked up its seventh consecutive victory in dominant fashion, 73-43. The Beavers jumped out to a 19-8 lead in the first quarter and not only kept the lead in double digits, but continued to build on it the rest of the way. Riverside senior Colin Durkin and junior Kyele Harden scored 14 points each to lead the way, and junior Drew Brown chipped in 11. @BvrBball senior Colin Durkin, who tied junior teammate Kyele Harden and Kenston sophomore Jackson Allotta with a game-high 14 points, reviews Riverside’s 73-43 win at Kenston, the Beavers’ seventh straight win pic.twitter.com/jmfhK5l2qn — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 15, 2025 “We watched a lot of film coming into today,” Durkin said. “Our coaches had us prepared. Communication on their screens, playing help side defense, and rebounding as a team (made us effective defensively).” Riverside (8-3, 2-0 WRC) was concerned with Kenston’s screening on offense and displayed its preparation for that by moving quickly, face-guarding ball-handlers, and switching when necessary. Kenston (5-8, 0-2 WRC) couldn’t generate much offense, partly due to the Beavers’ defensive efforts and also to cold shooting. The Bombers connected on just 15 of 55 field goal attempts (27%). On the other hand, Riverside was effective in moving the ball and opening up lanes for drives, finding teammates cutting to the basket, or knocking down 3s. The Beavers shot 63% (30 of 48) from the field, including an impressive 50% on 3s (8 of 16). @BvrBball Coach Matt Grendel talks about Riverside’s 73-43 win at Kenston, the 7th consecutive win for the Beavers (Part 1) pic.twitter.com/noMwCk1BqS — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 15, 2025 “I’m real proud of our guys. This really shows that we have a mature group,” Riverside coach Matt Grendel said. “It took us almost two hours to get here. I’m proud that they didn’t let that affect them. “We knew coming in we would have to be focused. Kenston runs a lot screening action, so we watched a lot of film, and our guys did a great job of communicating and working hard to defend those screening actions, because Kenston has some guys that shoot the ball really well.” @BvrBball Coach Matt Grendel breaks down what has led to the Beavers’ 7- game winning streak after a 73-43 win at Kenston (Part 2) pic.twitter.com/bZm6oBHXnx — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 15, 2025 Kenston senior Braelyn Akins split a pair of free throws to give the Bombers a 1-0 lead, but that would be the only lead they would have. Riverside senior Ashton Montgomery (eight points, five assists) cut to the basket, and Brown found him for a quick bucket and then Durkin nailed a 3, and the Beavers were off and running. Grendel was happy to see his squad sharing the ball as it put together runs of 11-0 in the first quarter and 15-4 in the third quarter. The Riverside lead reached 34 points in the fourth at 59-25 on a Montgomery basket, then a 3 by Kenston sophomore Adam Barr was matched by a triple by Durkin that made it 62-28. Sophomore Jackson Allotta led Kenston with 14 points. No other Bomber had more than seven. Kenston held a 14-10 rebounding advantage at halftime, but Riverside’s emphasis on the boards after halftime allowed it to pull ahead and finish with a 26-24 edge on rebounding. @KHSBomberSports Coach Derrick DeJarnette discusses Kenston’s 73-43 loss to Riverside pic.twitter.com/xpHSdBkkjA — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) January 15, 2025 “We just didn’t show up to play tonight,” Kenston coach Derrick DeJarnette said. “I congratulate Riverside on their win, but no one (on our team) showed up to play, and it showed. We didn’t hit shots. We didn’t guard anyone tonight. We didn’t do anything right tonight.” Kenston, with five wins, has won more games this season than the last two combined already, but the Bombers have lost three of their last four, and DeJarnette and his team are eager to put the past few games behind them and get on the right track when they entertain South on Jan. 17. Riverside, on the other hand, hopes to keep the good times rolling when it hosts North on Jan. 17. After a 1-3 start, Riverside has not lost since Dec. 19. “A number of the guys played for us last year, and they’ve really been committed to doing everything they can to be successful,” Grendel said of the Beavers’ winning streak. “After we started 1-3, they didn’t lose their focus and drive. They worked even harder, and I’m really happy for them to enjoy the success because they’ve earned it.” In a wide-open Western Reserve Conference race, the Beavers have a step up on the rest at 2-0 so far. “We know we still have a lot of work to do,” Grendel said. “We don’t think we’re playing our best basketball yet. We know we’re playing well, but we know we’re capable of even more, and that’s exciting for us.” THE SCORE (JAN. 14) Riverside 73, Kenston 43