SOUTHERN PINES — Ahead of Thursday’s final game of the Holiday in the Pines classic, Richmond junior varsity head coach Josh Calhoun challenged his team to showcase how it was the best in the tournament.
Bringing the energy, the JV Raiders cruised to their largest win of the three-day event with a 63-26 win over Willow Spring High School.
With the victory, the JV Raiders took the top spot in the tournament, finishing 2-1. Richmond defeated Montgomery Central High School on Wednesday for its other win.
“Today I loved the guys’ energy all game,” Calhoun said. “The boys came out ready to play and ready to make a statement that they were the best team in the tournament.
“Our energy on the defensive end is where it started,” he added. “Every day I preach to them how important defense is, and if we continue to play defense like we did today, we will be a very hard team to beat.”
For the second straight game, sophomore guard Keyonta Davis led the JV Raiders in scoring with 18 points. That matched his total from Wednesday, as he netted eight points in the first half and 10 points in the final two quarters.
Fellow sophomore Ahaiver McDonald reached double digits, too, scoring 15 points. He split his scoring with eight points before the break and added seven points in the second half.
A total of eight players scored including seven points each from sophomore Davion Ingram and freshman Amer Morrison.
Sophomores Keidreion Crump and Ali Tyson netted six points apiece, while sophomore Kailand Core and freshman Tate Craven rounded out the scoring with two points each.
A close first quarter saw Richmond jump out to a 13-8 lead. McDonald had four points and Morrison scored three points early, while Craven, Crump and Davis each scored two points.
Richmond outscored the JV Storm 20-5 in the second quarter to break the game open. Ingram started with a putback and Crump contributed with an easy basket following a steal.
A triple from Tyson gave Richmond a 21-8 lead, and Willow Spring answered with a three-pointer before the two teams went scoreless for two minutes, resulting in a JV Storm timeout.
Following the break, Davis rattled home a pair of three-pointers on consecutive possessions for his six points in the quarter. McDonald floated the ball into the basket to make it a 29-13 lead with three minutes left.
Morrison got into the mix and fired up the team when he split a trio of defenders to make an athletic basket. Capping the first-half scoring was a layup from McDonald, putting Richmond ahead 33-13.
A 14-5 run by the JV Raiders in the third quarter extended their lead. Crump scored his final two points early in the quarter, which was answered by a Willow Spring layup.
Richmond’s defense settled in and held the JV Storm without a field goal until there was 1:58 left in the period.
During that stretch, Ingram scored a bucket and Davis went on a 5-0 run by himself. He went coast-to-coast on a layup before adding three shots from the line. There to collect the missed free throw was Ingram, who was fouled and scored one foul shot.
Leading 45-16, Willow Spring ended the run with a jump shot.
Another big moment for the JV Raiders was when Core muscled his way back up to the basket for his two points, netting his first bucket of the season. At the end of three, Richmond led 47-18.
In the final period, the JV Raiders added 16 points to Willow Spring’s eight points. Richmond rolled on a 16-0 run before the JV Storm scored the final eight points.
Morrison scored another floater, leading to a jumper from Davis and a putback by Ingram. McDonald hit a layup before adding a three-pointer.
A steal and a basket by Davis was followed by another three-pointer from Tyson, which finished off Richmond’s scoring. Willow Spring (7-5) answered with two triples and a layup.
Sincere Campbell and Brandon Mitchell led the JV Storm in scoring with five points each.
“I’m very proud of the guys,” Calhoun closed. “But we are still learning and are about to get ready for a big week next week. Hopefully we bring the same energy.”
The JV Raiders (6-1, 1-0 Sandhills Athletic Conference) will continue conference play on Tuesday at home against Hoke County High School (1-6, 0-0 SAC). Play will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Note: Deon Cranford contributed game information and photos to this article.
