BATAVIA – Batavia vaulted into an ever-tightening Upstate Eight Conference River Division girls basketball race Tuesday with its hands up on defense, nowhere near players’ hips or knees.

Coach Kevin Jensen stressed that “Every deflection is a win” even during the waning moments of the Bulldogs’ 74-49 rout against conference-leading St. Charles East. It’s hard not to stay active with a roster of only eight players.

Batavia (13-7, 4-2 UEC River) figures it’s in for the long haul in its pursuit of East, Streamwood and Geneva, thanks in no small part to conditioning and incessant intensity.