HOPE MILLS — A season-high point total by the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team secured a win in its final game of 2022.
Wrapping up the Cumberland County Holiday Classic, the Lady Raiders played their third game in as many days on Thursday morning.
After losing to Cape Fear and East Columbus, Richmond responded with a convincing 56-35 victory over Douglas Byrd High School.
“We had much better play from our guards,” he coach Teddy Moseley said. “They attacked the basket more today. This is a big confidence booster moving forward into conference play.”
A trio of Lady Raiders reached double-digits in the win, and all were single-game career highs. Freshman guard J’Nasia Neal netted 18 points to lead all scorers, splitting her points with nine in each half.
Junior guard Keyoni Nichols scored 14 points and junior forward C’Niya Hinson added 11 points.
Four Lady Raiders scored in the first quarter, helping Richmond get out to a 12-6 lead. Neal and Nichols both hit a pair of field goals for four points each and Hinson added her first two points.
Junior Jamia Crowder, who finished with four points in the win, scored a basket to extend the lead.
Both teams battled in the second period, seeing Richmond outscore the Lady Eagles 13-11. Neal knocked down three shots from the line before adding a field goal for her final five points of the half.
Hinson brought her first-half total to six points with a pair of buckets, Nichols scored two more points and junior Yasmeen McLaughlin chipped in the first two of her four points. At half, Richmond led 25-17.
A 20-point third quarter broke the game open for the Lady Raiders, whose defense limited the Lady Eagles to just eight points. Finding a rhythm from beyond the arc, Richmond drained four three-pointers.
Neal hit one of the triples and notched two more baskets to lead the team with seven points in the third. Hinson also scored a three-ball and found the basket for two more points.
Nichols and senior Nyla Stroman were good from downtown, scoring one three-pointer apiece. Junior center Makailah Jackson capped the high-scoring quarter with a basket.
Nichols, who had eight points in the second half, ended her scoring with five points in the fourth quarter. She scored a trio of free throws and added a bucket.
Scoring two points each in the fourth were Neal, McLaughlin and Crowder.
Douglas Byrd was led in scoring by Desaya Ellis’ 12 points and Shania McLucas netted 11 points.
Improving to 3-7 on the season, the Lady Raiders will return to Sandhills Athletic Conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 3 against Hoke County High School (3-8, 1-2 SAC).
Richmond will look to move to 2-0 in SAC play, with the game slated to begin at 6 p.m. in Rockingham.
