The River Hill girls basketball team's bench yesterday was like a revolving door and No. 8 Long Reach didn't have a solid answer for any combination Hawks coach Teresa Waters put on the floor yesterday.

The depth that makes the second-ranked Hawks a favorite in Howard County overwhelmed the Lightning, as host River Hill posted a 69-53 victory.

Senior forward Megan Buescher led five Hawks in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore center Brittany Gordon added 10 points and eight rebounds, and junior guard Marche Westray scored 11 points.

Senior Laura Hostetler and junior Ashley Thomas, the Hawks' top perimeter players, finished with 10 and 11 points, respectively.

"I think everyone on our bench can play and everybody on our team is really important," said Buescher, whose team improved to 3-0 with all county victories. "Everybody who came in contributed something."

River Hill forced the Lightning (2-2, 1-2 in county) into 29 turnovers.

The Hawks, thriving off the fast break, threatened to blow the game open several times, including an 8-0 run to close the first quarter that made it 17-12, but the Lightning stayed close largely because of 5-11 junior Whitney Ward.

Battling against a Hawks front line that featured three six-footers, Ward scored 18 points.