Click link for video of game vs. Bowie by Video Editor Vincent Jaugan  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwFuSiqPI4M

On Friday, Jan. 15, the Eleanor Roosevelt Raiders outlasted their rivals, the Bowie Bulldogs, in a tough 44-40 win at home in Greenbelt. Fans from both sides filled the Raiders’ gym to a sell-out, creating an intense atmosphere for players in a rematch of last year’s playoff game.

The Raiders started off the game strong, with senior guard Naji Marshall scoring the team’s first seven points. They then extended their lead at the end of the first quarter to 16-6, with a dunk by senior center Michael Bryant, causing the Raiders’ student section to go crazy.

In the second quarter, the game went back and forth with the Bulldogs’ comeback attempts being halted by the Raiders’ defense. The Raiders went into halftime with a 26-17 lead.

The Bulldogs came out strong in the second half, and capitalized on the Raiders’ turnovers to go on a 7-0 run at the end of the third quarter, to eventually put them up 33-32 and give them their first lead of the game.

The Raiders were determined to come back, and started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer from senior guard Delascio Dancy. He lead the Raiders with a game high of 13 points. Tensions between the rival teams got high halfway through the quarter, with refs having to separate players after a hard foul. The Raiders responded with vengeance, and with a few clutch free throws down the stretch pulled off the 44-40 win.

The Raiders improved their overall record to 11-2; reeling off their 11th straight win and moving up to 10th in the Washington Post’s All-Met rankings.

The Raiders did not lack any confidence going into their rematch with their rivals. When asked about his thoughts on the big win, Bryant said, “[it] felt good, we knew we were gonna win.”

Dancy also commented on the victory, saying that “nothing feels better than beating your rivals.”

Regarding the fan atmosphere, Dancy also stated, “the fans had a huge impact on the game” and that he “wanted to play great in front of [his] family and friends, but stayed poised and tried not to feed too much into the crowd.”

Senior guard Traevon Benjamin said that the team “could have limited [their] turnovers and converted on easy baskets [they] had at the rim” to avoid Bowie’s comeback attempt. When asked about the team’s approach towards the rest of the season, Benjamin said, “we’re just taking it one game at a time.”

The Raiders face the Suitland Rams on Thursday, Jan. 21.