SOUTHERN PINES — Pressing defense and a last-second tip-in led the junior varsity Raider basketball team to a big win over Pinecrest High School Tuesday.
The Raiders and head coach Tony Terry made the trip up US 1 looking to take care of business against the Patriots and win their fifth-straight game. And while it may have taken almost all of the 32 minutes of playing time, Richmond walked away with a 37-35 victory.
Sophomore Jakolbe Baldwin was credited with the game-winning shot in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 35 with seven seconds left, the Patriots inbounded ball looking for the win, but Baldwin had other plans.
Baldwin pressed up on his man during the inbound, forcing the Patriot player to lose control of the ball. It hit off his foot and rolled out of bounds near the Raiders’ basket with four seconds left.
Fellow sophomore CJ Tillman caught the inbound pass but missed his jump shot. Baldwin was there to clean things up as he caught the rebound and tipped it in just before the buzzer.
The win moved the Raiders back even to a 7-7 overall record, but more importantly, it made them 6-3 against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents.
To open the game, the Patriots outscored the Raiders 7-3 in the first quarter. A nine-point second quarter by the Raiders closed the gap, but still trailed 13-12 at the break. Sophomore Dalton Stroman, who recorded his second-straight double-double and third in four games, led Richmond with six points in the first half.
Pinecrest managed to open its lead to 27-23 to close out the third stanza, but that’s when Stroman, Baldwin and the Richmond defense shut things down. In the final eight minutes, Stroman knocked down 10 more points, while the Raiders outscored the Patriots 14-8.
Leading the way for all scorers was Stroman, who had 16 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. Freshman Jalen David added seven points in the win and Tillman finished with four points and five boards.
Baldwin only scored four points in the win, but no other bucket was more important than his final one. He also sagged seven rebounds.
The Raiders will hit the hardwood again Friday when they host Jack Britt High School at 6 p.m.
