Raiders don't fall for spell

Three Rivers' Marquise Carter (3) dribbles while being defended by Meramec's Alonzo Wilkerson during the first half Saturday night at the Bess Activity Center. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

The Meramec Magic tried to trick the Raiders Saturday night at the Bess Activity Center.

The Magic got within one point on multiple occasions early in the second half but Raiders made key baskets to pull away for the 76-68 homecoming win.

"It just seems to me like the last two ballgames, I don't know if we showed the respect we should or whether we just didn't come prepared," Raiders coach Gene Bess said. "We sure didn't play well tonight but have to give Meramec some. They are a tough little team, they could win it all in that Division II region."

Three Rivers (26-4) was led in scoring by Marquise Carter and Ken Bingham who each finished with 19 points. The Raiders will now head into the Region XVI tournament having won nine straight when they play Friday night against either Moberly or West Plains.

"We feel good about this (win) as a team," Bingham said. "The only thing we have to do next week is go to practice and work hard and prepare for the next team we have to play."

Meramec a nine-point halftime deficit to one early in the second half, the Raiders took control. Over the next 10 minutes, the Raiders extended their lead to 50-41 in large part to free throws as they were 12-of-13, all but three makes by Carter or Bingham.

"We had two guys that were scoring," Bess said. "Marquise, of course, was doing a pretty good job and Ken. We had no inside game, that is the bad part about it."

The Raiders started figuring out the Magic's defense in the second half, Carter said.

"They were kind of playing a weird defense, all we had to do was work the ball and do some cutting," Carter said. "It kind of got them out of their defense."

Meramec went on a tear to start the second half. Andrew Moore made a basket and Rodney Ford followed with two straight. Another Magic hoop got them within one at 33-32 with 17:39 left in the game before Carter stepped to the line for Three Rivers' first points of the second half.

The Raiders went into the half with a 33-24 lead.

The Magic got within 20-18 with 5:35 left in the half before the Raiders went on a 13-6 spurt. Bingham nailed a 3-pointer and after a Magic two, Jeff Shelton banked in a 3-pointer to put the Raiders up 26-20. Carter scored five straight points for the Raiders before Niemczyk hit a jumper with just 3 seconds left in the half to complete the scoring.

The Raiders started quick out of the gate. After two Magic free throws, Carter banked a drive in to tie the game and Bingham nailed a 3-pointer at the 17:24 mark to put the Raiders up 5-2. Two baskets by Josh Terry and another from Carter put Three Rivers up 11-2 with 15:41 left in the first half.

"We try to come out and start off physical because coach usually tells us we don't come out playing hard the majority of the time," Carter said. "We just wanted to come out and play hard for 40 minutes, that is what we tried to do."

However, Meramec went on a 14-6 mark to close within two midway through the half.

Notes: The Raiders won the rebound battle, 30-23. ... There was a total of 68 free throws shot in the contest. ... Carter finished the game with five assists. ... Niemczyk finished with nine points for the Raiders. ... The Raiders had 22 points off the bench while the Magic had just eight. ... The Raiders had nine second-chance points and the Magic had seven. Marrs was the leading rebounder for the Raiders with seven points.