ROCKINGHAM — Two players on the Richmond girls’ basketball team earned their first career postseason accolade this winter.
Junior Makailah Jackson and sophomore Quanna Bostic were both selected to the All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team following the 2022-23 season.
Part of the 17-player roster, Jackson and Bostic were joined by “Player of the Year” Morgan Thompson, from Scotland High School. Roshien McLean of Scotland was tabbed “Coach of the Year.”
Scotland, which finished first in the SAC standings, had a team-best four players selected.
Pinecrest and Union Pines each had three selections, while Richmond, Hoke County and Lee County all had two picks. Southern Lee rounded out the roster with one player.
This season, the Lady Raiders finished in fourth place in the SAC standings, registering a 9-15 overall record and a 6-6 mark against conference opponents.
Jackson made her high school debut with the team this winter, while Bostic played her first full varsity season and helped fill the void left by injured starting point guard Jamyia Lindsey (ACL injury).
“Makailah finally came out and played this year and I’m so glad she did,” head coach Teddy Moseley said. “Her effort on rebounding and defense was key for us this year, and there were a couple games she played the whole time. She had the will to get better and she did. Next year, we hope to have her become more of a scoring threat.
“Quanna, athletically, was great,” Moseley shared. “She really came along this season and she has a lot of talent and showed flashes of being great. She’s definitely worthy of being All-Conference because she can get to the basket and is a good defender. The main thing is to get her to believe she can do it, and once she does, the sky’s the limit.”
Makailah Jackson, junior center
Having not played since middle school, Jackson was able to pick up right where she left off. She proved to be Richmond’s toughest asset on defense, leading the Lady Raiders with 7.8 rebounds per game.
Playing in 19 games this season, Jackson also recorded 3.4 points per game, most of the time scoring on offensive rebounds in the paint. She scored a career-high 9 points in a game against Union Pines on Jan. 31.
“It honestly doesn’t feel real, but it feels good to be recognized on the court,” Jackson said. “I was surprised when I heard about it because I never recognized how much I contributed to my team and I definitely didn’t expect it.
“While I didn’t contribute as much on the offensive side for my team, I feel like I made up for it on the defensive side,” she added. “I believe that everyone has a task on the court and my task was defense, and I could definitely help the team on defense and prevent the other team from scoring. I feel like me playing hard defense stood out and caused me to earn All-Conference.”
Quanna Bostic, sophomore guard
One of several point guards to step up this season to facilitate the offense, Bostic proved to be an elusive guard who could drive the lane and hit mid-range jumpers. She finished fourth on the team in scoring with 5.7 PPG.
Also playing in 19 games, Bostic scored double digits three times. She netted a career-high 14 points against Pinecrest late in the season, and added 11 points in a win over Uwharrie Charter Academy and scored 10 points against Purnell Swett.
“It feels good to be named All-Conference because there were times I doubted myself,” Bostic said. “I’m glad I was able to overcome those feelings and I had to light a fire underneath me and tell myself I could handle it.
“I realized I had coaches and teammates behind me who helped me get my confidence up,” she added. “I got better with my driving, and was more calm, which allowed me to commit to it. Next year I want to be a better player and teammate, and I’ve already been working with my left hand and taking shots.”
