FAYETTEVILLE — Leading after the first and third quarters Thursday, the Lady Raiders’ hope of winning the Cumberland County Basketball Holiday Classic Tournament came up just short.
Trying to extend its season-long winning streak, Richmond lost 61-51 in the title game to Cape Fear High School.
Entering the game on a five-game hot streak, the Lady Raiders were outscored 25-11 by the undefeated Lady Colts in the fourth quarter.
“It was a hard-fought game by both teams,” head coach Teddy Moseley said. “We battled back and forth the entire game, but we left way too many points on the floor. We missed too many layups under the basket.
“But I’m super proud of how we played,” he noted. “Three straight road games is tough to do. But these ladies played with toughness and grit every single night.”
Junior point guard Jamyia Lindsey and sophomore guard Jasiah Gilchrist, two of Richmond’s six total scorers, each netted a team-high 17 points.
Gilchrist forced eight steals and had three rebounds, while Lindsey had five boards, three steals and three assists.
Freshman forward Madisen Jackson followed her career-high performance on Wednesday with nearly a double-double. She scored nine points and had eight rebounds.
Other contributors for the Lady Raiders were seniors MaKailah Jackson (2 points, 10 rebounds) and Ryelan Lyerly (3 points, 7 rebounds), along with junior Rena Drake (3 points, 5 boards).
The game’s opening quarter featured a 14-12 lead for the Lady Raiders. Setting the tone offensively was Lindsey, who found the cylinder four times for her first eight points.
Gilchrist scored a basket to go along with a free throw, Lyerly added a bucket and Madisen Jackson made one foul shot.
Cape Fear (8-0) returned the run in the second quarter to send both teams into the locker room tied 26-26.
Lindsey added to her first-half total with five more points on two field goals and a free throw. Madisen Jackson chipped in two more buckets.
Keeping the score even was a Gilchrist basket and a shot from the stripe by Lyerly.
Jayda Angel, who led all scorers with 33 points, scored 14 points in the first half for the Lady Colts.
Another tight scoring affair in the third yielded a 40-36 lead for Richmond after three complete. Five players scored for the Lady Raiders, including five points from Gilchrist (field goal, three-pointer).
Drake drained her solo triple in the third, Madisen and MaKailah Jackson both had a bucket and Lindsey was true on a pair of free throws.
Despite seven points in the final eight minutes from Gilchrist, Richmond couldn’t stop the Lady Colts. Angel had her final 12 points and Teralyn Harris scored nine of her 11 total points, all from beyond the arc.
Trying to keep pace, Richmond used a final basket apiece from Lindsey and Lyerly.
The Lady Raiders (7-4) will enjoy the rest of their holiday break before returning to play on Jan. 5. They’ll travel to Hoke County High School (1-8) to resume Sandhills Athletic Conference action.
Sports editor’s note: Stats and game information provided by head coach Teddy Moseley and assistant coach Taneika Reader.
