By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — The RCS boys’ basketball team took a loss in its first game of the 2022-23 season, falling to the Coxsackie-Athens Riverhawks by a score of 55-35.
The team was on the road Monday, heading to its neighbor to the south.
Until last year, the C-A team was also known as the “Indians,” but changed its name to the “Riverhawks” in response to calls for teams to give up names and mascots that evoke imagery of Native Americans.
The RCS Indians came out of the gate slowly in the first period of Monday’s game, falling behind to the Riverhawks 8-0 until the Indians would be fouled with just a few minutes left in the first quarter and a free throw was good, to bring the score to 8-1.
The Indians would not get any closer than that the rest of the game, and would fall behind 12-1 late in the first quarter before RCS would drop a three-pointer with three seconds left in the period to bring the score to 12-4.
The Riverhawks extended their lead to 17-4 on a three-pointer with 5:30 left in the second quarter. The Indians fought hard for a rebound with under four minutes left in the quarter, leading to a two-pointer with 3:45 left in the half.
Both teams put a handful more points on the board in the first half, with the Indians bringing the score to 23-11 with under a minute to play in the second quarter. The Indians would score again to put the score at 23-14 with 40 seconds left in the half before the Riverhawks would drop a three-pointer, with the half ending at C-A 26, RCS 14 as the halftime buzzer sounded.
After the first C-A drive of the second half lasted until the play buzzer, RCS responded with a pair of two-pointers at the top of the third, putting the score at 26-18 with 6:57 to go in the period.
The two teams traded possessions and points until timeout was called with 3:46 left in the third, and the score Riverhawks 34, Indians 20.
The Indians would be fouled with 3:30 left in the third and made one of two free throw attempts, but the Riverhawks would respond with another score just seconds later.
The third period ended with the Riverhawks leading 38-23.
C-A scored five unanswered points before RCS would score another two-pointer to put the score at 43-26, but C-A responded with an immediate basket on their side of the court, 45-26.
The Indians fought hard late in the game but were unable to overcome the deficit that started way back in the first quarter. The first game of the season ended with a 20-point loss, Riverhawks 55-Indians 35.
