Riverside Pulls Away Late to Defeat Holy Cross, 64–46
By: Carrie Miner Yaple | SportzWire | December 19, 2025 | Photo courtesy Justin Bradley
Riverside Pulls Away Late to Defeat Holy Cross, 64–46
Riverside and Holy Cross delivered a hard-fought, physical battle from the opening tip, but a dominant second half propelled Riverside to a 64–46 victory in boys basketball action.
The first half was tightly contested and marked by aggressive defense on both ends of the floor. Holy Cross made it a priority to slow down Riverside standout Nico Antoniacci, holding him to just three points before halftime. As a result, the game stayed close, with Riverside nursing a slim 21–16 lead at the break.
Whatever adjustments Riverside made in the locker room paid off immediately.
Riverside erupted in the third quarter, pouring in 29 points and completely shifting the momentum of the game. Antoniacci came out on fire and simply could not be contained, scoring 27 of his game-high 30 points in the second half alone. His scoring burst energized Riverside and created separation that Holy Cross could not overcome.
Brayden Rose provided strong support for Riverside with 13 points, while the rest of the lineup chipped in with consistent contributions, all finishing in single digits but maintaining steady production throughout the game.
Holy Cross was led by CJ Thompson, who finished with a team-high 20 points. Jack Alpert added 10 points for the Crusaders, but Holy Cross struggled to keep pace once Riverside’s offense caught rhythm after halftime.
In the end, Riverside’s explosive third quarter and Antoniacci’s dominant second-half performance proved to be the difference, turning a close defensive battle into a convincing 64–46 win.
