RAEFORD — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team collected its second running-clock win of the season on Tuesday.
Returning to Sandhills Athletic Conference play after two holiday tournaments, the Lady Raiders defeated Hoke County High School 70-24.
Nine different players would find the basket for Richmond, which improved to 3-0 against conference opponents.
Freshman point guard Jamyia Lindsey netted a game-high 22 points, with senior center Jai’Maya Ratliff and sophomore forward Ryelan Lyerly each adding 13 points in the win.
“We played a little slow tonight, and we may be lagging a little bit off the Christmas tournaments,” assistant coach Taneika Reader said. “We’re just trying to get back to playing at the level we were before.
“What was good is we had a lot of steals tonight,” she added. “Our transition defense helped us out a lot tonight to lead to points.”
Richmond took a 28-7 lead after the first quarter, using 10 points from Lindsey and 8 points from Lyerly. Ratliff got her scoring started with five points in the opening period.
Senior Miccah Wall scored the first two of her 5 points in the first, and junior Nyla Stroman splashed down a three-pointer, the beginning of her 8-point performance.
The Lady Raiders went on a 17-8 run in the second quarter to take a 45-15 lead into the break. Lindsey added 8 points in the second, along with 5 points from Lyerly.
Ratliff netted a bucket in the second quarter and sophomore C’Niya Hinson scored her lone two points on a mid-range jumper.
In the third, Lindsey and Ratliff added 4 points each, and Stroman knocked down three free throws. Wall and junior C’Nedra Hinson added two points each.
Junior Joy Styles finished an old-fashioned three-point play for all of her points at the 2:19 mark of the third, which started the running clock.
Scoring two points apiece in the fourth were Ratliff, Stroman and freshman Rena Drake. Wall tallied her final point from the free throw line.
Leading Hoke County (1-11, 0-3 SAC) with 10 points was Brianna Redman, with teammate Whitney Thompson adding 8 points in the loss.
“It was big for Ryelan to step up,” Reader noted. “Jamyia and Jai’Maya are always counted on to score, and to have Ryelan be that third person to score was helpful.
“Now we have to buckle down and get ready for Union Pines. The game should be a little tighter against them.”
The Lady Raiders (8-4, 3-0 SAC) will look to add to their undefeated start in conference play with another SAC game at Union Pines High School (7-5, 1-1 SAC) on Friday. Play will begin at 6 p.m.
