FAYETTEVILLE — It was all gas and no brakes for the Richmond boys’ basketball team on Saturday, especially in the first half.
Finishing its two-game run in the sixth annual Hoops and Dreams Showcase at Fayetteville State University, the Raiders used a fast start in the first two quarters to defeat Millbrook High School.
The No. 2 and No. 3 seeded teams from last year’s 4A East state playoffs, respectively, Richmond won 70-59.
Winning their second straight game to start the season, the Raiders had four scorers in double digits and used a pair of double-doubles from seniors Javian Drake and Paul McNeil Jr.
Drake scored a season-high 16 points and dished out 10 assists, while McNeil Jr. netted 19 points and led the Raiders with 13 rebounds. Drake added a trio of rebounds and steals and McNeil Jr. had five helpers.
It was senior shooting guard Jamarion Wall who led the team in scoring with a game-high 22 points, and continued his impressive weekend. He was 8-of-14 from the floor with four three-pointers and four points shy of tying his career-high.
Junior forward Ahaiver McDonald had his best varsity game to date, scoring 10 points. Rounding out the Raiders’ scoring was senior forward Braylon Barfield, whose three points came in the fourth quarter.
Millbrook opened the scoring with a three-pointer by Brandon Callahan with 6:00 left on the clock in the first. A technical foul was issued to Callahan following the basket.
That sent McNeil Jr. to the line, who made both free throws. Retaining possession, McDonald gave the Raiders a 5-3 lead with a three-ball of his own from the right corner.
The only lead change Richmond needed, the Raiders closed the quarter on a 19-0 run (including their first five points).
Wall and Drake traded transition buckets created by turnovers and Wall hit his first triple from well beyond the arc along the right side. Drake sandwiched two fastbreak baskets around another Wall three-pointer.
Leading 19-3 to start the second quarter, Richmond opened the stanza with a three-pointer from McNeil Jr. Ending a scoring drought for the Wildcats (0-1) that lasted 8:21 between the first and second quarters was a jumper from Blake Bartney.
But that was followed by another scoreless stretch for Millbrook, which lasted 3:29 and saw the Raiders go on a 10-0 spurt.
Contributing to the run were three-balls from McNeil Jr. and Wall, along with transition baskets by McDonald and Wall. That gave the Raiders a 27-point advantage, 32-5, with just over three minutes to go in the half.
A 7-0 stretch by Millbrook closed the half and gave Richmond a 32-12 lead at the break. Wall, who scored 13 points in the first half, outscored the entire Wildcats roster.
With the help of Colt Langdon, who led Millbrook with 21 points, the Wildcats outperformed Richmond 27-20 in the third quarter. Langdon had 14 points in the third.
Richmond saw its lead cut to as few as 10 points, but seven points from Wall and six points from McNeil Jr. helped pace the team.
Wall netted a triple, a field goal and two free throws, while McNeil Jr. drained all three foul shots he took combined with a three-pointer.
Drake and McDonald combined for seven more points from Richmond, chipping in two field goals and three free throws.
Entering the fourth quarter up 52-39, the Raiders slowed down the tempo and preserved the win despite being outscored by two points in the final eight minutes.
A baseline drive from McNeil Jr. was followed by a Wall jumper from the left elbow and the first of Drake’s six points in the fourth. McNeil Jr. capped his scoring with a three-ball from the middle of the floor.
Drake laid in another fastbreak basket and Barfield got on the board with a free throw to make it 64-48. McDonald scored a field goal and Barfield jammed home a dunk.
Quarterbacking the final bucket for Richmond, McNeil Jr. threw a three-quarter court pass to Drake, who made easy work to the hoop and made a shot off the glass.
Other leading scorers for the Wildcats were Kyrie Heredia (12 points) and Alex Olander (9 points).
Improving to 2-0 to start the season, Richmond will head to the coast next Friday and play at First Flight High School (1-2) in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
That will be followed by a road trip to Richmond, Va., to play John Marshall High School on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Richmond’s win over Millbrook soon.
Sports editor’s note: Stats provided by Kyle Pillar, assistant coach Keith Parsons and Phenom Hoops.
