ROCKINGHAM — Opening its three-game week on Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity boys’ basketball team earned another victory.
Winning their third straight game, and seventh of eight to start the season, the JV Raiders resumed Sandhills Athletic Conference play against Hoke County High School.
Propelled by shifty guard play and a strong first half, Richmond held on for a 57-49 victory.
The JV Raiders scored 21 points in both of the first two quarters, which proved pivotal down the stretch. Richmond was outscored 22-17 in the final half.
Helping the fast start were seven points in each frame from sophomore guard Keyonta Davis, who finished the game with a team-high 16 points.
Using a 13-2 run in the game’s opening 3:08, Richmond jumped ahead thanks to two field goals and a three-pointer from the left wing from Davis.
Adding on was a jumper from sophomore Davion Ingram, the first of his eight points. Freshman Amer Morrison knocked down a pair of free throws and capped the run with a transition bucket off a steal by Ingram.
The JV Bucks (1-7, 0-3 SAC) chipped away with five straight points to make it 13-7. But a solo swipe and layup by Morrison, started an 8-5 run to close the opening eight minutes.
Sophomore Keidreion Crump joined the mix with a pair of foul shots, followed by an athletic inbound jumper from fellow sophomore Kailand Core.
Crump drove to the basket for two more points to give Richmond a 21-12 lead at the buzzer.
The JV Bucks went on a 6-2 run early in the second, with Crump notching two more of his 11 points on free throws.
Following a timeout, the JV Raiders went on a 14-2 run to open the lead. Davis scored five consecutive points on a pair of buckets and an and-one opportunity and Crump also added an old-fashioned three-point play.
A Morrison drive made it 33-18 and Hoke County stopped the bleeding with a basket. Sophomore Ahaiver McDonald and Davis drove the lane for two points each on the next two possessions.
Ingram spun his way through the lane for two more points. Ending the first-half scoring was sophomore Ali Tyson, who drained a three-pointer from the left corner. At the break, Richmond led 42-27.
A slow third stanza by both teams saw a lot of turnovers and missed shots. Hoke County managed to outscore Richmond 8-3.
The JV Raiders used a transition bucket from Morrison and a McDonald free throw to carry a 45-35 lead into the fourth.
Despite the lapse in scoring, Richmond managed to turn up its defense and do enough to hold on in the final eight minutes. The JV Bucks pulled within four points two different times.
Ingram and Davis both converted steals into easy layups, but Richmond went on a scoring drought of nearly four minutes. Ingram moved the lead to six points, 51-45, when he grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back through the cylinder.
Morrison proved helpful with a pair of free throws inside of two minutes, the final of his 12 points. Tyson blocked a shot in transition, which set up McDonald to knock down two more foul shots with 20.4 seconds to play.
Crump iced the win with a transition layup in the closing seconds.
Improving to 7-1 overall, and 2-0 against SAC teams, the JV Raiders will face Pinecrest High School (3-5, 0-0) on Wednesday.
Richmond’s lone loss came to the JV Patriots in a non-conference holiday matchup last week. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.
