SOUTHERN PINES — The Richmond junior varsity girls’ basketball team suffered a close loss in its Sandhills Athletic Conference opener on Friday.
Facing a tough Pinecrest High School team on the road, the JV Lady Raiders lost 47-41.
The two teams were tied at 40 points with 1:16 remaining in the game, but the JV Lady Patriots closed on a 7-1 run.
“This was a tough loss,” head coach Tonia Breeden said. “We came out flat and made a lot of turnovers in the first half. We got it together in the second half and we were up when a key player fouled out and we just couldn’t hang on.
“I’m extremely proud of how they turned the game around in the second half and made it a great ball game.”
Freshman Quanna Bostic and sophomore Jamia Crowder finished as the team’s two leading scorers, netting 17 and 15 points, respectively. Bostic, who has led the team in scoring in each game this season, scored 13 points in the second half.
Crowder also had a strong second half, chipping in 9 points in the final two periods.
Richmond trailed 6-4 after a slow first quarter by both teams, with Bostic netting two field goals for the JV Lady Raiders’ points.
At halftime, Richmond trailed 17-12. Crowder got her scoring started with 6 points in the second, using a pair of free throws and two buckets to keep the game close.
Da’Veah Robinson also knocked down two shots from the line for the first of her 4 points.
The JV Lady Raiders regrouped after halftime and outscored Pinecrest 17-13 in the third quarter to cut their deficit to one point, 30-29.
Bostic connected on four field goals and three free throws for 11 points, while Crowder added 4 points. Freshman Symone Terry helped Richmond’s offense with a basket for her two points in the game.
Five points from Crowder in the fourth quarter led the JV Lady Raiders, and Bostic, Robinson and Jasmine Williams all notched two points each. Neziah Crump rounded out the scoring with a free throw in the final period.
Pinecrest scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to help edge Richmond.
The loss moves the JV Lady Raiders’ overall record to 2-2 and 0-1 against SAC opponents.
