FAYETTEVILLE — Playing on the big stage at Fayetteville State University, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team finished as the runner-up of the 2021 Gil Bowman Holiday Classic.
Facing an undefeated Terry Sanford High School squad, the Lady Raiders saw their six-game winning streak snapped in a 71-49 championship loss.
Prior to advancing to the title game, Richmond defeated Corinth Holders on Thursday and Westover on Friday.
“It’s been a long, grueling past three days, but the girls have worked so hard and earned everything they’ve gotten,” head coach Teddy Moseley said. “It’s been tough but it’s been a good test for us the rest of the season.
“We played three really good teams and the team that we finished up with is probably one of the better ones in the state,” he added. “We held our own with them and I’m proud of all the girls.”
Freshman point guard Jamyia Lindsey led the way offensively for RIchmond, netting 23 points. Freshman Rena Drake added 8 points, senior Jai’Maya Ratliff scored 6 points and senior Miccah Wall chipped in 5 points.
Also scoring for Richmond were sophomores Ryelan Lyerly (4 points) and Keyoni Nichols (3 points).
Lindsey scored 11 points in the first quarter to help the Lady Raiders keep pace with Terry Sanford (9-0) and junior Miya Giles-Jones, who had a game-high 32 points. Lyerly and Wall both hit two free throws in the first to make it a 21-15 deficit.
Freshman Jamyia Lindsey, who had a team-high 23 points, drives to the hoop. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Both teams spread out their scoring in the second, going on a number of short runs. A three-point stretch by Lindsey cut the team’s hole to three points, 21-18, in the first minute of the second. Ratliff added two jumpers for her first 4 points of the game.
At the break, with Terry Sanford leading 37-30, Lindsey had 17 points for Richmond and Giles-Jones had 16 points for the Lady Bulldogs.
Moseley said lapses on offense and defense by Richmond to start the third quarter allowed Terry Sanford to go on a 20-8 run and break the game open.
Lindsey hit a transition layup and a three-pointer for 5 points in the third stanza, and Drake drained a triple. Giles-Jones had 12 points in the third to give the Lady Bulldogs a 57-38 lead going into the fourth.
“We were down seven points at the half, and I honestly don’t think (Terry Sanford) did anything to beat us,” Moseley explained. “We just beat ourselves in the third quarter, and our youth showed. There were too many lapses by us to let them go on that run.”
Five Lady Raiders found the basket in the fourth quarter to try and make a comeback. Drake opened the scoring with her second three-pointer of the game from the left corner in the first minute.
Senior Miccah Wall (42) puts a shot up after grabbing an offensive rebound in the first half. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Nichols and Ratliff added shots around the paint, and Lyerly hit a mid-range jumper for her final two points.
Lindsey and Nichols each knocked down a free throw in the closing 35 seconds for the team’s final points. Giles-Jones scored her final 4 points in the fourth.
“Tonight was the first time we’ve played a 1–3-1 defense all season and the girls executed it really well without much practice,” Moseley said. “I thought defensively we played really well. It was hard to contain No. 23 (Giles-Jones) because a lot of her points came from the line in the first half.
“Miccah Wall played well on defense and she gave us some points on offense on her first start,” he added. “Rena Drake was big for us tonight and Jamyia Lindsey also had a great game.”
Other leading scorers for Terry Sanford were Breonna Roaf (10 points), Skylar Young (9 points) and Tamia Harris (7 points).
Richmond (6-2) will return to play on Tuesday, Dec. 28 in the opening round of the Cherokee Classic. The Lady Raiders will face North Buncombe High School (3-3) and play at Cherokee High School.
