River Hill traveled to North Point on Saturday for the third annual DMV Tip Off Classic and got itself the positive result it desperately needed.
Three Hawks — Charles Thomas (17 points), Jaden Martin (15) and Marc DeSimone (11) — scored in double figures to help River Hill pull away in the second half for a 62-47 victory over Cardozo that snapped the team's four-game losing skid.
"It was a good win for us, gave us some relief and got the monkey off our back. I was really pleased with how we shared the ball as a team and made the extra passes," River Hill coach Matt Graves said. "Last couple games, we've had to really grind out points and today we really moved in the right direction."
The win was the first for River Hill (1-4, 2-4) since the team defeated Wilde Lake in its season opener.
The difference on Saturday was a big second half by the entire team and a career-game overall from freshman Jaden Martin. The Hawks' guard added seven rebounds and six assists to his career-high point total, which included shooting 6 of 8 from the floor.
"He had a breakout game. He was very comfortable with the environment and showcased what he's capable of," Graves said. "He brings a lot of things to the table, very versatile and can play multiple positions. But the big thing was that he really attacked the basket well today."
Thomas also produced a great all-around game, as he added seven rebounds and six blocks to his team-leading scoring effort.
River Hill had raced out to a quick 16-5 lead and held a 23-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter, before the team's offense stalled. Cardozo outscored the Hawks 13-4 in the second quarter to come all the way back and grab a 28-27 lead.
But River Hill answered out of intermission with a big third quarter to pull back in front, 45-36, and never trailed the rest of the way.
"We had three guys with two fouls in that second quarter, so we just had to hold on and get to the half," "Then in that third quarter, we got back to playing how we were at the beginning. We stayed patient, made the next pass and got ourselves some very quality looks."
River Hill will be back in action on Monday at home against Hammond for the team's last action before winter break.
River Hill 62, Cardozo 47
RH (1-4, 2-4): Thomas 17, Martin 15, DeSimone 11, Sandler 9, Mentle 4, Borucki 4, Ndiritu 2.
C: Koonce 18, McNair 15, Armstrong 8, Greene 2, Addison 2, Walker 2.
Half: 28-27 C.