SOUTHERN PINES — Back on the court for the second of three games in the Holiday in the Pines tournament, the Richmond junior varsity boys’ basketball team bounced back with a win on Wednesday.
After suffering their first loss of the season to host Pinecrest the day before, the JV Raiders used seven different scorers to defeat Montgomery Central High School 70-41.
Head coach Josh Calhoun noted the team made adjustments from its loss and used a stronger start to cruise past the JV Timberwolves (5-6).
“My guys bounced back after a tough loss yesterday,” Calhoun said. “They came out ready to play and took advantage of the opportunity.
“We’re still struggling in certain areas, but our main focus is to get better each day, and we did that today.”
Sophomore guard Keyonta Davis notched his second double-digit performance of the tournament, netting a team-high 18 points. Also proving to be a key contributor was freshman guard Amer Morrison, who finished with 17 points.
In the first quarter, both teams traded baskets and Richmond took a 6-5 lead. Davis started a 5-0 run by himself when he completed an old-fashioned three-point play and added a transition basket off a steal.
Following a Montgomery Central free throw, freshman Tate Craven hit a three-pointer to put Richmond up 14-6 with 2:10 on the clock. Craven, who ended with eight points, netted five points in the first period.
A 3-0 run by the JV Timberwolves was snapped when Davis hit a free throw and Morrison added a layup after a turnover. Kailand Core blocked a shot attempt at the buzzer to maintain a 17-10 lead for the JV Raiders.
Montgomery Central scored the first four points of the second quarter, but Davis added to his 11 first-half points with a floater and a free throw a short time later.
Sophomore Ali Tyson, who scored eight points in the win, hit a fastbreak layup to extend the lead. After the JV Timberwolves answered with a basket, sophomore Keidreion Crump knocked in a pair of free throws for the first of his six points.
A scoring drought by both teams of nearly two and a half minutes ended when Tyson scored on a layup and was fouled. Missing the free throw, Davis was there for the putback and two more points to make it a 28-16 lead.
Montgomery Central closed the final 2:51 of the first half on a 6-0 run, but Richmond held a 28-22 advantage at the half.
The third quarter saw Richmond outscore its opponent 20-9 and Morrison took over by scoring 10 points in the period.
The JV Timberwolves cut Richmond’s lead to four points, but the JV Raiders responded by scoring eight points in the next 1:21. Davis and Morrison each had four points in that span.
Morrison kept his scoring run hot by adding Richmond’s next six points, all courtesy of the fastbreak. Craven capped his performance with another triple with 21 seconds left on the clock.
Heading into the fourth with a 48-31 lead, the JV Raiders tacked on 22 points from six players. Richmond scored the first seven points of the final stanza thanks to a Morrison three-pointer, a Davis putback and a jumper from sophomore Ahaiver McDonald.
After an old-fashioned three-point play from Montgomery Central, Davis went 1-of-2 from the line to make it a 56-34 lead with 6:06 remaining.
A JV Timberwolves triple was answered by Richmond scoring its next six points in three seconds. McDonald, who had all six of his points in the fourth, scored on a layup but was fouled.
His and-one attempt missed but Crump tipped it back in and was fouled. Playing deja vu, Crump’s free throw missed and sophomore Davion Ingram was there to score the final two of his seven points.
Down the stretch, Davis and Tyson scored layups. McDonald made a steal and went the distance with a dunk. Crump ended Richmond’s scoring with a layup at the 3:04 mark.
The JV Raiders (5-1) will wrap up the Holiday in the Pines tournament on Thursday with a game against Willow Spring (6-4). Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. at Pinecrest.
Note: Deon Cranford contributed game information and photos to this article.
