LR lose two by slim margins

The Raider basketball team has a 1-7 win-loss record in the league after losing by four points, 46-42, in Bridgeport last Tuesday, then by five points, 43-38, against Waterville on Saturday at home.

The Raiders and the Bridgeport Mustangs traded leads through the game, but in the end the the Mustangs took a four-point victory.

"We're still trying to figure out how to win at the end of the game," Raider Head Coach Levi Seekins said. "We had every opportunity to do so, but just didn't hit the shots when we had them. As a team we played really hard. We just didn't execute down the stretch."

Junior Trevor McCraigie led the Raiders with 30 points for the game. "Trevor shot the ball well, a great individual effort from him," Seekins said.

On their home court Saturday, Raiders were off to a good start against the Waterville Shockers, leading 29-18 at the half, the best half of their season according to their coach. McCragie sank several three-pointers in the first half and was again the leading scorer for the Raiders with 21 points for the night.

"He has pretty good shot selection," Seekins said.

But the second half saw the Shockers make a comeback, shocking the Raiders by taking the lead, then the win.

"We could not score in the second half," Seekins said. "We missed seven layups in the game, missed open jumpers, turned over, and let their pressure get to us."

Seekins plans to work on giving his players more confidence in shooting by having them take more shots at game speed during practice. That way, he explained, they'll be more confident during the games as the speed of the game won't seem as foreign.

The boys lost a home game last night against the Oroville Hornets, 59-53. More details to come in next week's Star.

The Raiders head to Brewster Thursday to face the Bears, with the junior varsity game scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. The Raiders will take on the Liberty Bell Mountain Lions in Coulee Dam next Tuesday, also starting at 4:30 p.m.

Raiders 42 Mustangs 46

Raider Points

McCraigie 30, Williams 1, Picard 2, Trotter 3, Whiteman 6

Shockers 43 Raiders 38

Raider Points

McCragie 21, Kiser 5, Picard 4, George 2, Lindsey 4, Whiteman 2