ROCKINGHAM — The accolades are pouring in for the Richmond Senior High School girls basketball program.
Over the weekend, the 2023-2024 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team was released after the Lady Raiders exited the 4A East playoffs in the fourth round.
Richmond had four players selected to the postseason roster — senior MaKailah Jackson, junior Lamyia Lindsey, sophomore Jasiah Gilchrist and freshman Madisen Jackson.
For the second time in three seasons, Lindsey was tabbed the SAC’s “Player of the Year.” This season she returned after missing all but four games as a sophomore due to an ACL injury.
MaKailah Jackson and Gilchrist each earned their second respective selection, and Madisen Jackson capped her freshman season with her first nod.
Teddy Moseley, who wrapped up his sixth season as the Lady Raiders’ head coach, was also named “Coach of the Year.” It’s the second time in three seasons for him as well.
“She picked up where she left off during her freshman year and went higher,” Moseley said of Lindsey. “She’s unselfish, a great teammate, a hard worker and everything you look for in a player. Everything she gets she deserves because she’s put in the work to get to where she is. And she’ll only get better.
“And all three other young ladies worked hard all season long,” he added. “They showed up to practice and have done what they’ve had to do. They were a big part of our success this season. It’s a big accomplishment for all three, especially for Madisen as a freshman and Jasiah as a sophomore. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Of his Coach of the Year honor, Moseley shared, “It’s all because of the players and staff. Without them it wouldn’t have happened. It’s a team effort and each girl helped the others earn All-Conference.”
The Lady Raiders had their best season during Moseley’s tenure, posting a 25-5 overall record and making it to the fourth round of the playoffs.
Richmond swept the SAC to go 12-0 in the regular season to win the outright conference championship. The team followed by winning the SAC championship tournament and also had an 18-game winning streak this winter.
Returning to 100% this winter, Lindsey was electric for the Lady Raiders. As the team’s point guard, she controlled the game’s tempo and provided big statistical numbers each night.
Lindsey led the SAC and the 4A East in scoring, netting an impressive 24.8 points per game, better than runner-up Caitlyn Jones (23.3 PPG, Rolesville). She connected on a 4A second-best 265 field goals (behind Jones) and shot 43.3% from the field.
Also the leading free throw shooter in the 4A East, Lindsey connected on 179-of-235 attempts (76.2%).
Within the SAC, Lindsey was third in three-pointers made (36), steals (4.4 per game), assists (4.0 per game) and double-doubles (5), as well as 10th in rebounds per game.
With her 745 total points this winter, Lindsey also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark of her career on Jan. 16 against Lee County High School.
Lindsey scored 25+ points in 15 games, reached the 30-point mark seven times and recorded a season-high 43 points in Richmond’s third-round playoff win.
“Being named Player of the Year for this season is very important to me,” Lindsey said. “I’m thankful my hard work from coming back off of an injury hasn’t gone unnoticed and I’m thankful that I’ve had the teammates and coaches to put me in this position.
“My teammates and my coaches allowed me to be successful and have a great season. From playing great team defense and scoring in transition, to running the plays correctly, I couldn’t have scored in such a way without my teammates and their support.
“Next season the Lady Raiders expect to have another successful year,” she added. “We want to have another 20+ win season and another strong playoff run. We definitely expect to win the conference and conference tournament championship.”
MaKailah Jackson, senior center
After not playing basketball as a freshman or sophomore, MaKailah Jackson helped the Lady Raiders the past two seasons. She capped her career with her second All-SAC selection.
A starter who contributed mostly on defense, Jackson averaged 5.4 rebounds per game. That was the third highest average for Richmond and she was ranked 13th in the conference.
During her final season, Jackson averaged 2.7 points per game, 0.4 blocks and 0.4 steals per game and added 0.2 assists per game.
Jackson’s best performance of the season saw her net eight points and pull in 11 rebounds in a 74-35 win over Pinecrest on Jan. 30. She recorded four double-digit rebounding performances this season.
“I feel honored that I was noticed for the second year in a row,” Jackson said. “As a person who isn’t very fond of basketball, I feel as if i’ve pushed myself to do my best at it and so have my coaches.
“What allowed me to be successful was my hard work, aggressiveness, determination, and my mom (Shannon Jackson), she was a big reason why I pushed myself to do my best.
“Some of my favorite memories were being able to get to know my teammates and having the opportunity to not only experience the games, but to be involved in the game and being able to experience the rush from winning.”
Jasiah Gilchrist, sophomore guard
Transferring from Pinecrest, Gilchrist was the Lady Raiders’ No. 2 scorer with 13.5 PPG, which was sixth-best in the SAC. Netting 152 field goals, second-highest in the conference, she shot 50% from the field.
A fast-playing guard, Gilchrist strengthened Richmond’s back court and was second in the SAC in steals per game (4.9). That mark and her role as a tenacious defender also put her third-best in the 4A East.
Within the SAC, Gilchrist was fifth in free throws made (72) and sixth in three-pointers made (24) and assists per game (2.5).
Gilchrist registered 20 double-digit scoring performances and eclipsed the 20-point mark six times. She set a single-game career-high in scoring with 27 points in a victory over Hoke County on Feb. 2. She also had a season-high 11 steals two times.
“Being named All-Conference two seasons in a row means a lot to me because it allowed me to realize that all my hard work and dedication paid off while playing with some really great teammates and having awesome coaches,” Gilchrist shared.
“Playing with the Lady Raiders has been a great experience. One of the many things I love about playing for Richmond is how the fans and community support us. I learned a lot from my coaches, as well as my teammates. They pushed me to be a better player in practice and in games, which allowed me to have a great and successful basketball season.
“I hope to help the team to continue to be successful by remaining a true lockdown defender,” she continued. “Moving forward, we are still going to continue to play one game at a time and work towards achieving the goal to win a state championship.”
Madisen Jackson, freshman forward
Making the transition from middle school to high school varsity basketball smoothly, Madisen Jackson quickly became Richmond’s third leading scorer this winter. She averaged 8.6 PPG and was part of the starting five.
Across the SAC rankings, Jackson was seventh in field goals made (107) and she shot 52% from the field, the highest on the team of players who attempted at least 10 field goals.
Jackson was also 11th in overall scoring and she was 12th in rebounds with 5.6 boards per game. During her freshman season, Jackson quickly established her present in the paint.
Nine different times Jackson scored 10+ points in a game, and she netted a single-game career-high 24 points in a win over Union Pines on Jan. 11. In three games, she also recorded double-digit rebounds.
“It feels good to be recognized as a freshman and to achieve one of my goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the season,” Jackson shared.
“What helped me this season was always having my teammates and coaches encourage me and coach me up,” she added. “I want to bring confidence, energy and leadership the next three seasons. And hopefully that will turn into a lot of wins.”
