By GARY DOVE

LINDSIDE — Johnathan McPherson was glad that his team finished on Saturday afternoon.

“It was nice to finish it out,” he said following James Monroe’s 61-51 win over visiting River View.

“A lot of our ball games have been pretty close, where we’ve been in it, and things have happened that were bad for us and we just kind of folded, but today (the Mavericks) fought through and I’m just glad for the victory,” he said.

The Mavericks took the lead with 7:11 left in the opening half and led 34-27 at the break, thanks to a 22-6 run that was driven by four trifectas.

River View trailed by as many as 14 late in the second period but closed to within a bucket twice in the final frame before the hosts kept their composure and sank points when they needed them to seal the victory.

Junior Caleb Spencer nailed three of those four second-quarter threes and accounted for four such scores in the game.

Spencer took game scoring honors with 18 points, followed by fellow junior Tyler Moore, who tossed in 16, including 14 in the opening half.

The decision snapped a six-game losing string by the Mavericks and moved the season slate to 3-6.

River View, on the other hand, opened the campaign with five straight wins, but suffered its second consecutive loss Saturday.

Junior Tyree Baker was the lone double-digit scorer for the Raiders.

Baker bombed a trey to get the Raiders started after Moore had dropped in an opening score to give JM the brief lead.

Two free throws by Baker, an offensive put back by senior Cameron Roberts and a Cody Howie foul shot gave the Raiders a 9-4 advantage midway through the first.

Moore scored a pair of buckets, and Dakota Copenhaver and Landon Shires added one apiece to tie the count at a dozen after the inaugural frame.

Baker’s deuce to open the second gave the visitors their final lead of the afternoon at 14-12.

Moore connected on a trifecta from the right wing to see-saw James Monroe back on top 15-14, with that fielder starting a 12-point run that took just over two minutes to accomplish.

Copenhaver followed that trey with a stick-back and Spencer knocked down two freebies.

Lance Wilson, who was fouled launching a 3-point try, connected on all three foul shots and Moore capped the run with a goal from close range.

Poor shooting hampered the Raiders in the opening half, as they could muster but 8-of-27 accuracy in the initial two frames.

Later in the second, over a 1:36 span, Spencer converted three treys to give his team a little breathing room.

Remarked his coach of that exhibition, “I’ve been waiting on that. He’s definitely a shooter. … River View just lost him for a little bit. We try to get him the ball, especially when he’s hitting like that.”

The third was a low-scoring affair, with the Raiders cutting the deficit to five with just under two minutes showing in that frame.

Seven Mav turnovers over the eight minutes of that period helped the Raiders move to within six heading into the final chapter.

Senior Jordan Wilson and Baker scored a goal each to open the fourth and cut the margin to 44-42 before Conner Booth stemmed the tide, ever so briefly, with an offensive rebound goal.

Jordan Wilson’s driving goal with 6:16 remaining again cut the deficit to two, at 46-44, but Spencer again answered with a 3-pointer before Booth connected from inside.

“At the end, give all the credit to them (Mavericks),” remarked second-year River View head coach Roger Hale. “We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot with too many mistakes and turnovers. …

“When we cut it (the deficit) down a little bit, again it was mistakes (that led to JM stretching the lead back out).”

The Raiders will host Mount View Monday, while James Monroe will travel to Mercer Christian Tuesday.

Concluded McPherson, “It’s just good to get back on the winning side.”

At Lindside

RIVER VIEW (5-2)

Tyree Baker 17, Cody Howie 9, Jordan Wilson 6, Cameron Roberts 5, Todd Coeburn 8, Dylan Swarbrick 3, Austin Keen 2, Johnathan Hatcher 1. Totals 17 12-18 51.

JAMES MONROE (3-6)

Caleb Spencer 18, Lance Wilson 8, Dakota Copenhaver 4, Dominic Lewis 5, Conner Booth 4, Landon Shires 6, Tyler Moore 16. Totals 22 10-16 61.

River View..................12 15 11 13 — 51

James Monroe...........12 22 10 17 — 61

3-point goals — RV 5 (Baker 3, Coeburn 2), JM 7 (Spencer 4, Wilson, D. Lewis, Moore). Fouled out — none.