RAEFORD — Hitting open layups and getting off to a fast start are two things head Lady Raider basketball coach Teddy Moseley has stressed this season. And his team responded by doing both Tuesday on the road at Hoke County High School.
Looking to end a two-game skid against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents, the Lady Raiders used two double-digit scorers and solid defense to complete the regular season sweep against the Lady Bucks.
Richmond edged Hoke County 55-42 to improve to 10-10 on the season, and 6-5 in SAC play.
“Tonight was the first time that we made the open layups from the tip, and I thought that was a good sign,” Moseley said. “I told the girls at the beginning of the game that once they started making these early-on layups, they’d get more confident.
“And that’s what happened — they became more confident as the game went along,” he added.
Sophomore forward Jakerra Covington scored a team-high 14 points for the Lady Raiders, getting off to a fast start with seven points in the first quarter. She made short-range shots on back-to-back possessions to open the game, before adding a jumper and a free throw in the final two minutes.
The first time the two teams played on Jan. 8, Richmond scored a season-high 58 points and held Hoke County’s Kiya Locklear to just five points. But Locklear responded by dropping a game-high 16 points Tuesday, but with just two coming in the opening frame.
With Richmond trailing 17-11 with 24.2 seconds left in the first quarter, senior Taliah Wall helped even the score heading into the second by putting together a 6-0 run by herself. A free throw was followed by two straight buckets under the basket, the latter being an and-one opportunity she converted.
Freshman Allyiah Swiney and sophomore Jayla McDougald hit early buckets in the second to extend an 11-0 Richmond run carrying over from the first quarter. But five points from Locklear, and four more from Simone Benton, helped Hoke County stay close.
A Layne Maultsby three-pointer from the left corner with 1:36 left in the half gave Richmond a 26-24 lead, but two buckets by Wynashia Bratcher flipped the score and gave the Lady Bucks a 28-26 halftime lead.
Five Lady Raiders would find the scoreboard in the third stanza, and regain the lead 40-34 heading into the fourth. Locklear opened the scoring with a bucket, but Hoke County (9-12, 3-8 SAC) went cold from the floor, going 5:28 between baskets.
An 11-0 run by Richmond during that span saw the Lady Raiders take a lead they wouldn’t surrender the rest of the game.
McDougald, who scored a team second-best 13 points, came up clutch down the stretch, hitting four of her six free throws to help put the game out of reach. Allexis Swiney tacked on four points in the fourth quarter. The duo combined for the final five points of the game from the charity stripe.
On the night, the Lady Raiders shot 21-for-79 from the floor (26.6 percent). They also connected on 11-of-28 free throw attempts (39.2 percent). While Moseley said there’s room for improvement in those numbers, he was pleased with how his team continued to shoot the ball.
“Overall, our defensive effort was pretty good tonight,” Moseley said. “We need to recognize who the shooter is a little better, but (Locklear) is a pretty good player.
“This win is huge for our morale,” he concluded. “We’ve hit some bumps with our morale. Jayla was huge for us down the stretch with free throws. Jakerra is our motor and always has been, and Allexis had a good night off the bench. Layne also shot the ball really well tonight.”
Covington and McDougald combined for 27 points, with Allexis Swiney and Maultsby adding eight and seven points, respectively. Wall finished the night with six points.
Richmond will host Lumberton High School (13-5, 6-3 SAC) on Friday at 6 p.m.
