The tests have come early for the top girls basketball teams in the South Puget Sound League North 4A this season.

Thursday was no exception with No. 1 ranked Auburn Riverside squeaking by No. 4 Kentwood 59-56 in a thriller at the Ravens’ Nest.

With a 61-47 win against No. 2 Federal Way already under their belt, the Ravens (3-0 league, 4-0 overall) came in knowing the key to stopping Kentwood (2-1, 4-1) was slowing down their motor – 5-feet, 4-inch guard Kylie Huerta first-year head coach Terry Johnson said.

“Well obviously we wanted to try to do the best we can and slow her (Huerta) down,” he said. “She is a pretty impressive player and so we were really hoping to kind of slow her down. And I thought we did a descent job at that and a least making her work a little bit tonight.”

Coming into the game, Huerta was averaging more than 22 points per game. On Thursday, however, the Raven defensive triumvirate of juniors Brooke Hinkens and Megan Amis and senior Jelisa Pretz, combined to hold Huerta to just 11 points.

“I think, a lot of kids did a good job,” he said. “Taylor Wofford had a big shot for us in the fourth quarter to put us up and Brooke Hinkins, Megan Amis and Jelisa Pretz did a good job on Kylie during the night. They really put us in a position to win.”

Riverside shot out to quick 18-14 lead after one quarter, stretching their advantage to 31-24 at the half.

With just under four minutes left in the third the Ravens appeared to be in control of the game. Then the three-balls began to rain down, with senior Sanda Milovic getting things started.

“Give them credit a lot of their other girls stepped up to make some big shots in the game,” Johnson said.

Milovic finished the game with six three-pointers and a team-high 20 points.

Riding Milovic’s hot hand, the Conks began to close the gap in the third quarter and took their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, 45-44.

After Huerta’s two-point bucket to give her team the lead, Johnson called a time out to talk with his squad.

“We wanted to get organized offensively, make sure we were all on the same page and get them a little rest,” he said. “We also wanted to gain our composure. We knew that this wasn’t going to be a game where we weren’t going to have to come in and compete for the entire game.”

“He told us to stay composed,” Raven senior Mercedes Wetmore, who finished with a game-high 22 points, said. “We knew they were going to come and get their shots and take their leads, but we didn’t know if it was going to come early or late. We just had to be composed.”

Clutch three-pointers by Wofford and Hinkens in the fourth quarter gave the Ravens enough breathing room to put away the victory, 59-56.

Hinkens finished the game with 13 points, with junior Kat Cooper adding nine points.

Kentwood was led by Milovic’s 20, with junior Courtney Johnson adding 14 points.

“Right now I don’t know what to expect in this league,” Johnson said. “I am still learning as we go. But I do know is that every night is going to be a battle and obviously that Kentwood team, well that’s just a great team. Those kids, they just know how to win and they know how to compete.”

“We knew it was going to be tough game,” Kentwood coach Dean Montzingo said. “But we played well and fought our way back into the game. We competed well. It’s still early in the season and we’ll meet them again.”

The Conks and the Ravens will meet again at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Kentwood.

The Ravens will play No. 1 ranked 3A Kennedy Catholic (2-0, 2-0) at noon this Saturday at Bellevue Community College.

Kentwood will host Jefferson (2-2, 3-2) at 7:30 p.m. this Tuesday.