ROCKINGHAM — Overtime wasn’t needed during Tuesday’s game for the Richmond junior varsity boys’ basketball team to earn its second win of the season over Pinecrest High School.
Unlike the teams’ first meeting earlier this month that used two extra periods, the JV Raiders won their ninth straight game by a final score of 60-54.
Overcoming an early deficit, the JV Raiders relied on four double-digit scorers to keep them undefeated in Sandhills Athletic Conference play.
Freshman Amer Morrison had a team-high 18 points, including four triples. Sophomores Keyonta Davis and Ahaiver McDonald added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Fellow sophomore Davion Ingram contributed 10 points, with freshman Terande Spencer rounding out the scoring with six points.
The first quarter featured big runs by both teams, ending in a 13-11 lead for Pinecrest. The JV Raiders took a 9-3 lead thanks to a pair of Davis drives and a three-pointer and two free throws from Morrison.
Pinecrest closed the remaining 4:21 on a 10-2 spurt. Netting Richmond’s other two points on a tip was Ingram.
A transition layup from Morrison to start the second knotted the score, but head coach Josh Calhoun called a timeout at the 5:52 mark with his team down 15-13.
Out of the timeout, Richmond responded with a 9-2 scoring stretch to take a lead into halftime. Seven straight points came from a Morrison three-ball, another close shot from Ingram and a putback from Spencer.
Leading 22-17 following an Ingram steal and bucket, the JV Raiders added eight more points before half.
Morrison accounted for six points, making a drive and a foul shot and his third triple of the half. Just before the buzzer, Davis drove the baseline for two more points to give Richmond a 30-22 lead.
Carrying their momentum over into the third, the JV Raiders opened their lead to 16 points thanks to a 12-4 scoring run through the first four minutes.
Spencer fired up a putback, followed by four quick points from Davis in the paint. A drive from Morrison was added to with another Davis layup and two free throws from McDonald to give Richmond a 42-26 lead.
The JV Patriots (6-9, 3-2 SAC) closed the gap with a 9-2 run in the closing 3:30, with McDonald knocking in two more free throws for Richmond.
Despite being outscored 19-16 in the final eight minutes, the JV Raiders scored enough to keep the JV Patriots out of reach. McDonald added his final five points on a three-pointer and a bucket to lead the team.
Ingram capped his night with a pair of close-range shots, while Morrison iced his game-high scoring performance with another triple. Two free throws from Davis and a Spencer putback sealed the win.
Looking to stay perfect in conference play, the JV Raiders (13-1, 8-0 SAC) will play at Hoke County High School on Friday. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.
