ROCKINGHAM — Not intimidated by their opponent’s seven straight wins to start the season, the Richmond Raider basketball team remained perfect in conference play on Monday.
Hosting Southern Lee High School in a Sandhills Athletic Conference matchup, the Raiders kept up their high-scoring play in a 93-55 win over the previously unbeaten Cavaliers.
Surpassing the 90-point mark for the third time in the last four games, the Raiders were all gas and no brakes from the opening tip-off.
Over the past four games, Richmond is averaging 91.8 points per game and 22.9 points per quarter.
The two-man scoring crew of senior point guard Javian Drake and senior wing Paul McNeil Jr. continued to produce at a high clip during the early going.
McNeil Jr. netted a game-high 33 points (13-of-21 shooting), including four three-pointers, with Drake adding 14 points (5-for-9).
A total of 11 Raiders found the basket in the win. Junior forward Ahaiver McDonald and sophomore guard Jayden Hamilton both scored 13 points, as each player shot 6-of-9 from the field.
Sophomore shooting guard Jacob Rankin, who lit up the gym last week at the buzzer against Pinecrest, dropped a pair of triples on 2-of-5 from beyond the arc for a season-high six points.
Junior Keyonta Davis had four points, as seniors Braylon Barfield, Jamarion Wall, Jada Zimmerman and juniors TyShawn Harris and Davion Ingram all had two points.
“We are just trying to continue to get better,” head coach Donald Pettigrew said. “Defensively, we weren’t good tonight. I have to do a better job as a coach to get them where they need to be.”
Richmond used four players to take a 21-14 lead after the first quarter. McNeil Jr. started with his first nine points on three field goals and a triple.
McDonald had six points in the opening stanza with three field goals, Drake had four points on a bucket and two free throws and Barfield scored his two points.
A 13-point quarter from McNeil Jr. in the second period helped the Raiders to a 45-27 halftime lead. He made two triples, two baskets and a trio of shots from the line to give him 22 points at the break.
Four more points from Drake in the second were paired with a bucket apiece from Davis, Hamilton and Wall.
McDonald and McNeil Jr. both knocked down a three-ball and two baskets in the third to combine for 14 points. Hamilton scored five points in the third with a shot from downtown and a field goal.
Drake continued his consistent scoring with another four points, adding a basket and two free throws. Davis capped his effort with another field goal.
Leading 70-43 to start the final eight minutes, seven Raiders found the cylinder to close out the big win. Rankin sank his two three-pointers and Hamilton chipped in three baskets, as both had six points.
McNeil Jr. added his final four points on two shots. Netting two points each were Drake, Harris, Ingram and Zimmerman.
The Raiders (5-1, 2-0 SAC) will head to northeast Georgia on Friday and Saturday to compete in the Allen Iverson Classic.
Playing at Grovetown High School, Richmond will play the host Warriors (2-5) on Friday at 8 p.m. followed by a game against Gainesville High School (Ga., 0-7) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
