Last night was senior night at top-ranked Seton Keough. Leave it to two juniors - Katelyn Fischer and Asya Bussie - to steal the show.

Bussie, a center, used her inside presence to score 16 points, while Fischer, a point guard, added 12 points as the Gators (23-3) defeated Riverdale Baptist, 58-45, in a nonleague game.

The Crusaders (23-4), ranked eighth in the D.C. area by The Washington Post, got 16 points from Tierra Franklin in their losing effort.

"We scheduled them at this time of the year on purpose," Seton Keough coach Jackie Boswell said. "At this point in the season, it's not about wins and losses; it's about getting better and guarding against overconfidence."

If the Gators wanted a challenge, they certainly got one early from Riverdale Baptist. The Crusaders held the lead through most of the first quarter before Seton Keough got a layup from B.J. Williams to take a 10-8 lead at the end of the period.

It took Seton Keough a while to get used to the frenzied pace that Riverdale Baptist plays, but the Gators began to adjust. Seton Keough went on a run midway through the second quarter, extending its lead to 21-14 with 59 seconds left after an 11-6 run.

One of the reasons for the charge was the defensive intensity. Seton Keough used presses and relentless pressure to build its lead.

"We focus on our defense, and that's why we got the lead," Fischer said. "Even if our scoring isn't there for a while, our defense carries us. It's always been like that."

Coming out of the locker room, the Gators forced even more turnovers and took advantages of Bussie's inside game to outscore the Crusaders 11-3 in the first 4:27 of the half and put the game away.