ROCKINGHAM – Friday night provided a dramatic game for those in attendance inside Raider Gym against the visiting Scotland High School Lady Fighting Scots, but the main attraction for the evening was celebrating the seniors.
Family members of the respective seniors gathered in the stands, balloons in hand, ready to watch their girls face perhaps Richmond’s biggest rival. Although the Lady Raiders led the entire first half, they unfortunately allowed the Lady Fighting Scots to mount a comeback that eventually turned into overtime and a 51-48 loss.
Recognized as seniors were Lexyonna Ingram, Jordyn Horne and Saleemah Brown.
The Lady Raiders implemented their full court press to start the game, something that they’ve done on several occasions this season, with much success. Richmond also seemed to have more confidence in regards to finding open shooters and pulling down rebounds.
Richmond finished the first quarter up 12-8 with forward Ingram providing six of those points. However, the Lady Raiders were outscored 8-5 in the second quarter, but still led overall 17-16 going into halftime, scoring only five points in the second and shooting 1-3 from the free throw line.
The Lady Scots tied the game up at 19 in the first minute of the third quarter and then took the lead for the first time a minute later, going up 21-19. Richmond had trouble holding onto the basketball as the game progressed, causing them to lose the lead.
The Lady Raiders found themselves down 30-24 after the third quarter and were outscored again for the second period in a row, this time 14-7. This would be Scotland’s biggest lead of the night.
Led by sophomore Keionna Love’s eight points in the fourth, Richmond was able to pull to within two after a layup from the forward. Ingram would later tie the game back 31-31 with only six minutes remaining in regulation.
Scotland would again push the lead to four, but Richmond would answer back with a put-back two pointer with 4:37 left to make it 35-33. In back and forth succession, the Scots would score again making it 37-33 with three and half minutes left, but two made free throws from Love would pull Richmond to within two again.
As the game inched closer to the ending, the referees appeared to start calling more fouls, sending Scotland to the line late in the game, but they missed the majority of them, allowing Richmond to stay in shouting distance.
The Lady Raiders shot 4-8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, respectively.
Love made a layup and the ensuing free throw to bring Richmond back even with the Scots at 40-40 with 2:15 to go on the clock.
Following a huge turnover by Richmond with 1:21 left, Scotland made one free throw to go up by one with a minute left. Sophomore point guard Allexis Swiney would come right back with a layup though to put Richmond on top 42-41 with 47 seconds left.
The Raiders, trying to kill the clock, held the ball for as long as they could until Scotland fouled Swiney to send her to the line. She would only make one, leaving the Scots a chance to tie it up and go to overtime. With four seconds on the clock, that`s exactly what they did.
In the extra period, Love once again led the charge, making a fadeaway jumper with less than 30 seconds left to once again tie the game at 47 and again at 48 when both teams missed free throws. Despite her great play, Love would foul out in overtime but led the Raiders in scoring for the night with 12 points.
Scotland would once again get fouled and take a one point lead with less than 15 seconds left. Ingram missed her shot to take the lead causing Richmond to have to foul once more, and the Scots would make both leaving the final score at 51-48.
Aside from Love, Ingram also reached double digits for the game on senior night, scoring 11 overall. Fellow senior Jordyn Horne failed to score Friday night but forward Saleemah Brown chipped in two points on the big night.
Others to score include guard Taliah Wall with eight, and sophomore Layne Maultsby had her best game of the season by adding seven off the bench, including the Raiders only made three of the night. Swiney scored five and Jakerra Covington put up two of her own.
Overall, the Lady Raiders shot 9-22 from the charity stripe (41 percent) and 7-15 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The Richmond Lady Raiders finished the regular season 5-13 overall and 3-10 in the Sandhills Athletic Conference and will now turn their attention to the conference tournament slated to begin on Tuesday. They are the No. 6 seed and will be on the road at Jack Britt High School.
