RIPON — With the score tied and 40 seconds remaining with crosstown rival Ripon Thursday night, Ripon Christian’s Morgan Van Elderen drove to the basket and passed up the opportunity thinking someone else may have a better look.
She was right.
The Knights rotated the ball to Lexi Hilvers, who dished to Rilee Clark.  After taking aim, Clark buried a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining, and Ripon Christian added a free throw for a heart-stopping 50-46 Trans-Valley League win.
“We were passing it great and then Lexi (Hilvers) did a great job of getting the ball out to me,” Clark said. “We played like a real team tonight. We were passing and played hard.”
The reigning TVL champion Indians (4-2, 12-7 overall) had won seven straight against their rival, a streak that started in 2015. They trailed 37-27 with 3:11 left in the third quarter and went to a suffocating press that the Knights (5-1, 13-6) could not handle.
Taylor Anema kept Ripon Christian in the game for the first three quarters when she scored 18 of her game-high 19 points. Morgan Van Elderen flirted with a triple double, scoring 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
“This was very exciting,” Anema said. “Probably my favorite game ever. We really wanted this one. It’s been a long time since we have beat them.
“Things got a little rough with their press but we were able to beat it early on,” Anema added. “Our coaches told us before the game this was going to be about desire and we really, really wanted this one and we played that way.”
Ripon’s Reina Sausedo (14 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, two assists) was dominating on both ends of the court in the third quarter, when Ripon Christian committed eight turnovers. Sausedo scored nine points and made three steals.
The Indians ended the third period on a 5-0 run and started the final quarter on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 37 with 6:30 remaining in the game.
“We really didn’t do a good job of handling their pressure,” Knights coach Ed Mulder said. "They created a lot of turnovers in the second half.
“But what that did is change their defense to where we could get Rilee open and she is our best outside shooter. She didn’t really shoot the ball much early but she got all 10 of her points in the last three minutes.”
Ripon led 46-44 with a minute left when Hilvers (four points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists, steal) broke the Indians press, hitting Clark with a long pass. Clark buried a field goal to tie the game, and then she got a rebound at the other end, setting up her pivotal 3-pointer.
Ripon’s Mikaela Vaught drained four 3-pointers for all of her 12 points. Tianna Sidtikun made 12 rebounds for the Indians, Sydney Thomason added seven boards and Mia Van Lewen five.
“RC did a nice job of shooting the ball tonight,” Indians coach Rick Inderbitzin said. “They did a nice job coming back and executing their game plan.
“They came through at the end when they needed to finish it off. So, hats off to them and now we have to get ready for another game on Tuesday.”