Raiders beat Cards in nail biter

The Rice Raiders and Columbus Cardinals met for the second time on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and the sequel lived up to the hype of their first game.

The First time these two teams met it was a highly emotional game filled with momentum shifts and lead changes.

The first time they met the game ended up going into overtime thanks to an outstanding performance from Trevor Berger. He played a big role in getting his team to overtime against Rice and played an even bigger role to secure the win in overtime.

The Raiders never forgot that game and they knew they let one slip away but the Cardinals came into Tuesday’s game ready to prove that their first game was no fluke.

The Cardinals and Raiders always have spirited contest when they get together and Tuesday night was no different. The Cardinals knew the Raiders play fast and aggressive and this game would be no different.

In fact, the Cardinals anticipated the Raiders coming out even faster and even more aggressive because they wanted to get their win back. The Cardinals did a great job of matching their energy though and thus another great game between the two schools commenced.

At the end of the first quarter Rice held onto a two-point lead and started the second quarter up 12-10. The Cardinals came storming back in the second quarter though and outscored Rice 14-10 and carried a 24-22 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break both teams knew the third quarter would be pivotal and they played accordingly. The third quarter was so important for these teams that they ended up tying the quarter with each scoring 16 points, but Columbus still held onto the lead and took a 40-38 score into the fourth quarter.

This is where Rice did everything, they could to get themselves back into the game, but Columbus was with them every step of the way. Rice managed to get a slight edge late in the quarter and was able to tie things up and send the game to overtime.

With their lineup intact and no ejections to throw off their rotations like in the first game the Raiders went to work. The Raiders outscored the Cardinals 9-3 in overtime and was able to clinch their playoff spot with a 71-67 win.

The Raiders playoff journey will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 20, when they take on Great Hearts Northern Oaks in Seguin.