AHOSKIE – Ben Cooper scored a career-high while teammate Jasper Kreuger poured in 32 points as Ridgecroft School evened their record on the season at 6-6 with an 84-65 win over The Albemarle School here Monday night.

Wyatt Liverman also scored in double-figures for the Rams with a dozen points while Albemarle’s Dante Foreman led all scorers with 35.

Kreuger doubled-up the Colts in the first quarter and outscored Albemarle all by himself, scoring all his team’s points as the Rams took an 11-5 lead.  Forcing turnovers out of their pressure defense, Ridgecroft turned the early going of the contest into a track meet.  Ahead 17-8, Ridgecroft got their first three-point field goal when Drew Davis buried one from behind the arc.   That shot was followed on the next Ram possession with a trey from Wyatt Liverman.  The Rams ‘D’ kept Albemarle in check, and that was good for a 19-point lead after just the first eight minutes of the contest, 27-8.

The Colts were able to match the Rams on the scoreboard in the second quarter – each school scoring 17 points – but they could not match Ridgecroft’s intensity. Albemarle went on an 11-2 tear, but it only got them within 16 points of the Rams’ lead.  Liverman got a free throw and Drew Davis closed out the scoring with another lay-up.  All of which were good to stake Ridgecroft to a 44-25 lead at halftime.

The Rams started the second half by stretching their lead.  At one point, Ridgecroft went to put up seven unanswered and their bulge climbed to 55-29. The Colts closed the frame with a 9-2 run of their own, but found themselves still in a 19-point hole at the end of the period 64-45.

Much like the second quarter had been, so went the fourth for the two teams as both scored 20 points each.  Albemarle picked up some enthusiasm, but was too far down to use it as an aid in their comeback.   All eight players for Coach Kahn got in the scorekeeper’s book in the 19-point win.

Ridgecroft (6-6, 3-1, TIC) will now take an extended holiday break and resume play – back in conference – on Jan. 3 with a trip to Merry Hill where they’ll face Lawrence Academy.

ALBEMARLE     (65)

Dante Foreman-35, Brandon Jackson-10, Spencer Wentz-7, Logan Donn-6, Luke Gray-4, Jake Stallings-3.

RIDGECROFT    (84)

Jasper Kreuger-32, Ben Cooper-14, Wyatt Liverman-12, Drew Davis-7, Dawson Rose-7, Blake Birdsong-5, Tucker Lane-4, Grayson Joyner-3.