Riverside at Kohler
Pete Peterson
Richmond’s 47 Spoils Kohler Rally as Toiletmakers Fall Again
Kohler, WI — If there were moral victories handed out in the RBL standings, the Kohler Toiletmakers might have earned one Sunday night. Unfortunately for them — and rather fittingly for a season that has repeatedly slipped away at the worst moments — the only number that matters is the final score.
And this one read Riverside Ollies 130, Kohler Toiletmakers 129.
In a wild, high-scoring shootout that featured 24 lead changes, Riverside escaped with the one-point win behind a brilliant scoring night from Mitch Richmond, who erupted for 47 points, and a dominant interior presence from Alonzo Mourning, who added 25 points and earned Star of the Game honors.
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For Kohler, it was the kind of game that perfectly captures their frustrating season — competitive, entertaining and ultimately just short of the finish line.
Again.
“We had it,” Shaquille O’Neal said afterward, shaking his head. “One play here, one stop there and we’re talking about a win. Instead we’re talking about another close loss.”
The defeat dropped the Toiletmakers to 14–27, while Riverside improved to 21–13.
A Track Meet From the Start
From the opening tip, it was clear defense was going to be optional.
Kohler struck first with Clarence Weatherspoon finishing inside, setting the tone for an early exchange of baskets. Richmond answered immediately with a fast-break finish, and the two teams traded punches throughout the opening quarter.
Shaquille O’Neal bullied his way to early points in the paint while David Wesley pushed the pace, including a fast-break basket that gave Kohler an early spark.
But Richmond quickly warmed up.
A pair of threes late in the first quarter silenced the home crowd and put Riverside ahead. By the time the quarter closed, the Ollies held a narrow 36–35 lead, largely thanks to Richmond’s early barrage.
“He got comfortable way too early,” Joe Dumars said. “You let a guy like that see the ball go in a few times and suddenly he thinks the rim is a swimming pool.”
Richmond Takes Over
If Kohler hoped Richmond might cool off, that hope didn’t last long.
The veteran guard kept attacking in the second quarter, slicing into the lane and hitting jumpers from all over the floor. Midway through the period he converted a driving basket that pushed Riverside’s lead to nine.
A Mark Price three-pointer shortly afterward stretched the Ollies’ run and forced Kohler to scramble just to stay within reach.
“We knew Richmond was their engine,” said Stackhouse. “But sometimes knowing it and stopping it are two very different things.”
By halftime Riverside had pushed its advantage to 74–68, with Richmond already over 25 points.
Kohler Fights Back
To Kohler’s credit, the Toiletmakers didn’t fold.
The second half saw them repeatedly claw back into the game behind the brute force of Shaquille O’Neal, who finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, and the steady scoring of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who added 22 points.
Stackhouse chipped in 21 points, attacking the rim and drawing fouls during Kohler’s second-half surge.
One stretch late in the third quarter seemed to finally swing momentum.
Wesley hit a jumper. Abdur-Rahim drove for a basket. Then O’Neal hammered home a finish inside that electrified the crowd and briefly gave Kohler the lead.
“We kept fighting,” Wesley said. “That locker room hasn’t quit on this season.”
Still, the Toiletmakers could never quite separate themselves.
Which, unfortunately, has become the theme of their year.
Mourning Delivers the Decisive Punch
Every time Kohler made a push, Alonzo Mourning seemed to answer.
The Ollies center dominated the interior, scoring repeatedly on putbacks and inside finishes while controlling the defensive glass.
“He’s relentless,” Riverside guard Gary Payton said. “When Zo gets that position, it’s over.”
Mourning’s presence kept Riverside afloat long enough for Richmond to deliver the finishing blows.
Richmond scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, including several clutch baskets down the stretch that prevented Kohler from completing its comeback.
A One-Point Heartbreaker
Kohler made one final push in the closing moments.
O’Neal powered in a late basket and the Toiletmakers closed within a single point, setting up a frantic final stretch.
But Riverside held on just long enough to escape with the win.
For Kohler, the result felt painfully familiar.
“Man, we’re tired of these one-point stories,” O’Neal said. “Close losses don’t look any better in the standings.”
Another Night, Another Lesson
If nothing else, the game provided a perfect snapshot of the Toiletmakers’ season.
The effort was there. The scoring was there. The competitiveness was certainly there.
But so was the cruel twist at the end.
“Look, we’re in these games,” Stackhouse said. “But being in them and finishing them are two different things. We’ve got to figure that part out.”
Until they do, the Toiletmakers will keep finding themselves in the same frustrating place — playing entertaining basketball, pushing good teams to the limit… and watching someone else walk away with the win.