Willie Jefferson wasn't too pleased when he was taken out of the game during the second quarter of Riverside's league opening win against Yale Cup foe Lafayette.  "Why are you taking me out", Jefferson asked head coach Ron Killinger.  "Because you're just standing around, you aren't moving enough", Killinger replied.  Apparently, Jefferson got the message.

Jefferson scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the third quarter to help Riverside pull away from the Mighty Violets.  The Frontiers created numerous opportunities with their defensive pressure and used them to attack the basket in transition.  After opening the third quarter on a 19-6 run, Riverside cruised to a 79-56 victory in the uniquely narrow gymnasium.

Riverside received another well-rounded performance from Deon Artis, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, and five steals.  Davon Ferguson was a force inside and showed good range from the perimeter, leading Lafayette with 26 points.  Ed Bishop scored 16 points and Prentis Thorn added 10 points.

For Lafayette, the game was not only its league opener, but also the season opener.  A snow storm in December postponed a pair of games for the Mighty Violets, leaving them without a game until Yale Cup action began.

Due to the new Yale Cup format, each Buffalo large school will have to visit Lafayette Avenue.  Formerly, all city teams (large and small) played each other once, so teams would only have to travel to Lafayette every other year.  However, after this season, Lafayette will not have a team to host any games.  The school did not enroll any new freshmen this past September.  After this year the students currently enrolled as sophomores and juniors will be re-assigned to other schools and Lafayette will be closed for next year.

-centercourt