Behind fourth-quarter finish, Rams defend RAC against rival Storm

RIO RANCHO - “Beat the traffic!”

Chants rained down from the Rio Rancho side of the bleachers when the Rams pulled away from the rival Storm on Wednesday night.

#2 Rio Rancho boys basketball (19-2) defeated #1 Cleveland (17-4) at home in their first meeting of the season, 69-56. 

The Rams put together a game-sealing fourth quarter after three quarters of highly competitive back-and-forth battles in a boisterous environment inside the RAC.

“It always feels amazing to get a win like that against those guys,” Rams junior forward Noah Lovato said. “Especially at home with the amazing crowd.”

That energy left both teams struggling to settle in early, with turnovers and tough possessions present throughout the first half.

Remy Albrecht would bring stability.

After a Rio lead after the first, Cleveland’s star guard got going in the second quarter. Albrecht had 14 points at the break, including a last-second three-pointer that gave the Storm the lead, 34-33.

“We have Remy!” the visiting Cleveland student section shouted.

But out of the break, the Rams having guard Cayden Richardson on their side would be the difference maker. Richardson would be a problem at the rim for the Storm, including getting to the line multiple times to take the lead.

46-44 Rams heading into the fourth, it was clear it was going to be the Rams’ driving and inside ability versus the Storm’s three-point and perimeter shooting the rest of the way.

Advantage: Rams.

Cleveland was not able to get clean looks in what was an impressive late showing from the Rio defense, while the Rams continued to drive inside.

Richardson finished with 17 points, alongside 13 from Kayden Decker and 10 from Lovato. These three were instrumental in the Rams' deciding quarter.

“Our game plan is to play inside-out and take what the defense gives us, and I think we did that really well tonight,” Lovato said. “I thought we shared the ball really well and dissected the full-court pressure well, especially late in the game.”

It may not have been the prettiest of four quarters for both top-ranked squads, but that's district basketball for you. Rio now holds a share of first place in 1-5A with Volcano Vista, at 4-1, while Cleveland sits at 3-2. 

The Rams are ahead, but this is likely just the beginning of duels between these two.

“We know what needed to get done, and it got done,” Lovato said. “We dealt with some injuries and illnesses, but the next man stepped up when needed, and we played together.”

The best part? These two get to meet again in two weeks.

Rio Rancho and Cleveland are set for action in the Thunderdome on Feb. 19, the final game of the regular season.