A packed R.L. Potts gymnasium was filled with excitement and activity on Tuesday night, January 31, as the 16-3 River boys basketball team took to the floor against county rival Monroe Central in a game that had OVAC emplications. Also set for the night was the induction into the River High School Athletic Hall of Fame of three ex-Pilot athletes, Lucas Isaly, Lauren Flannery, and Joe Dierkes all ex-baskeball standouts and 1,000 point scorers.

It was the perfect night for the Pilots to put on a grand display of basketball, with a 20 point win 61-41 over a good Monroe Central team and keep the home team on top of the OVAC 2A, and clinch the top seed in the 2A tournament, while also winning the title in the Mid-Ohio Valley League. Add to that it lifted their position in the Ohio Division IV Eastern Districk Tournament Drawing.

Junior guard standout Kabel Isaly was not to be denied as he knocked home a game high 29 points on the night as his older brother Lucas looked on. He hit four from beyond the 3-point line and was 2-2 from the free throw line. However, River also received strong performances from seniors Brody Lollathin with 12 points, and Ty Long with 11, which pushed him over the 1,000 point mark for his career.

The Pilots came out firing away and controlling the tempo and the boards to build a comfortable 38-22 lead heading into halftime, on the back of Isaly who had 24 at the break. Monroe Central kept fighting back but the Seninoles couldn’t overcome the Pilots relentness defense that held them to five third quarter points to put the contest away.

The visitors received a nice performance from sophomore Tucker Howell who scored 17 points and Logan Brown who added 13. Jacob Fogle contributed nine for the Seminoles on a trio of 3-pointers.

Overal the Pilots hit 24 shot from the floor, including eight 3ás and went 5-7 from the free throw line. Central hit 14 field goals and went 6-7 from the line. The pilots had 38 rebounds to the Seminoles 26.