ROCKINGHAM — Extra time wasn’t needed for the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity boys’ basketball team to etch another tally in the win column on Friday.
Two days after grueling their way to a double-overtime victory, it was smoother sailing for the JV Raiders against Union Pines High School.
Extending their season-long winning streak to five games, the JV Raiders also stayed undefeated in Sandhills Athletic Conference play with a 61-48 win.
Freshman guard Amer Morrison wears No. 23 on his jersey, and matched that in points during a career performance.
Early in the game, head coach Josh Calhoun switched to man defense. That helped Richmond collect a pair of double-digit leads in each of the first two quarters.
The JV Raiders opened on a 16-6 run and saw four players score. Sophomore Keidreion Crump led the team in the opening eight minutes with five points, netting a pair of transition baskets and a free throw.
Also during the run, sophomore Keyonta Davis and freshman Terande Spencer scored four points each. Both of Davis’ shots were short-range jumpers and Spencer powered up to the rim from under the basket both times.
Morrison was dialed in from beyond the arc, scoring 12 points in the first half, all on three-pointers. He hit his first one early in the game and ended with five triples and a career-high 23 points.
Union Pines (5-7, 0-1 SAC) got into a scoring rhythm and ended the first on a 5-0 run to make Richmond’s lead 16-11 at the buzzer.
Continuing that momentum, the JV Vikings cut their deficit to three points, 23-20, midway through the second.
Helping keep Richmond ahead was an old-fashioned three-point play along with a transition bucket by sophomore Davion Ingram. Spencer also hit two free throws.
Morrison helped give the JV Raiders some breathing room when he found a groove in the right corner. He netted a three-pointer with 3:26 to play, which started a 14-6 run to end the quarter.
Two more triples came from Morrison in the same spot and Davis and Spencer each added a close-range shot. Sophomore Ali Tyson connected on a free throw to make it a 37-26 halftime lead.
The second half followed a similar script as the JV Raiders worked out to multiple double-digit leads before allowing the JV Vikings back within a couple of points.
Morrison drained his final shot from downtown, and transition buckets by him and Ingram made it Richmond’s largest lead of the game, 44-29.
Spencer, who scored a career-high 13 points, went on a quick 3-0 run to make it 47-34.
Union Pines answered with a long run to end the quarter to cut its deficit to five points, 47-42.
Morrison’s first two of six points in the fourth quarter came on a transition layup, but Richmond’s offense went into a lull and allowed Union Pines to pull within two points with 3:40 to play.
Helping set the winning run in motion, Calhoun called a timeout and told the JV Raiders to “pick it up.” A putback by Spencer for his final two points ignited a 12-1 run in the closing 3:10.
Scoring down the stretch were Morrison (4 points), Crump, Ingram and Tyson (2 points each).
Ingram ended with 9 points, Crump finished with 7 points, Davis added 6 points and Tyson had 3 points.
The JV Raiders (9-1, 4-0 SAC) will play just one game next week, traveling to Lee County High School (1-7, 0-2 SAC) on Tuesday. Starting another tripleheader of hoops, the JV game will open at 4:30 p.m.
