ROCKINGHAM — When sophomore point guard Micah Jackson completed a drive off the glass with 55 seconds left in the first quarter of Tuesday’s junior varsity basketball game, he gave the Richmond Raiders nearly all the points they would need to earn a season-opening win.
The JV Raiders played host to Anson High School to kick off their 2019-2020 campaign, and behind a 19-point performance from Jackson, Richmond would rout the Bearcats 62-16. The bucket by Jackson in the final minute of the first quarter gave him his first two points of the game.
Joining the double-digit scoring parade for Richmond were freshman Dakota Chavis (13 points), and sophomores Xavier Collazo and Luke Williams, both of whom scored 11 points in the win. Rounding out the scoring for the Raiders were sophomore Mehki Harrington (5 points) and Travion Dumas (3 points).
“I have eight players right now and I trust and believe in all of them,” first-year head coach Kenta Hutchinson said after his first career win. “I let them play free and they showed what they could do tonight.
“Offensively, every player can take it to the hoop,” he added. “I wanted them to be aggressive and take shots, and a lot of them fell for us. Finding the extra pass made the difference for a lot of guys reaching double digits.”
Collazo started the game strong in the first quarter, netting a team-high seven points. Williams added four points in the frame on two putbacks under the rim. After the first six minutes, the Raiders led 15-6.
Hutchinson noted the defense fell into place starting in the second quarter, and Richmond only allowed the Bearcats to score one basket, which came on Anson’s final possession of the half. Chavis led all scorers in the second with six points, as the Raiders outscored Anson 17-2.
Out of the halftime break, 16 points in the third and 14 points in the fourth helped Hutchinson’s squad roll to a 46-point win. Harrington and Jackson each posted five points in the third stanza, and Williams capped his scoring with a jumper and a putback.
Jackson wasn’t done, seeing the point guard tally 10 points in the final quarter. He drained two three-pointers and added two layups on drives through the paint.
In the second half, Richmond’s defense forced turnover after turnover and limited the Bearcats to just four points in the third and two points in the fourth.
Hutchinson and the JV Raiders (1-0) will return to the court on the road Thursday at Anson. Tipoff is expected to begin around 5:30 p.m. following the girls’ game.
