THORNTON – The Riverdale Ridge girls basketball team has been on a terror to start the season.

The Ravens jumped out to a 10-1 overall record and have gone from being unranked to start the season to being ranked No. 3 in class 4A.

“Our group is resilient,” Riverdale coach Tim Jones said. “We play with a higher level of energy because we know we have to. We respect all of our opponents and know that they will all give us their best and, in return, we process the same way.”

The lone loss for Riverdale came was a 57-52 setback  to Olympian High School from Chula Vista, Calif. Since then, the Ravens have been on fire. They beat their last  three opponents (through Jan. 11)  by an average of 30.3 points.

Leading the way has been freshman phenom Brihanna Crittendon, who has been receiving national recognition, including an offer from UCLA. Rightfully so, as she has been dominant this season. She is leading the state in scoring at 30.2 points per game and also has a team-high 9 ½  rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.9 blocks.

She is also shooting an impressive 70 percent from the field, despite being the focal point of the opponents’ defense each night.

“Bri is a special player and person,” Jones said. “Her impact on the game is huge because she is a ‘get it done’ type player. At such a young age, she is determined and humble. Her success comes from her efforts.”

Crittendon and the Ravens supremacy was on full display in their 70-33 victory over Mountain View.

Riverdale held the Mountain Lions to only 29 percent from the field and forced 27 turnovers. While Crittendon was dominating in the post with 30 points and eight rebounds, sophomore Gabby Herr was getting hot from outside. She hit five, 3-pointers in the contest and finished the game with 19 points. Macayla Stark also had nine points in the win.

The Ravens held a 39-23 advantage at the half and continued their onslaught in the second half. They kept Mountain View scoreless for nearly four minutes in the second half and went on a 19-point run to seal the victory.

“The key to our success is the buy-in from our players,” the coach said. “With us being a 5-year-old school, we have worked really hard to harness and build our culture, and the girls have been all in. We had a very productive off season and they've earned every piece of success they get.”

Riverdale is back in action this week with games against Northridge (6 p.m. Thursday. Jan. 17, in Thornton), and at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at Roosevelt.