ROCKINGHAM — Playing as a collective unit was the key to Friday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference win for the Richmond girls’ basketball team, according to head coach Teddy Moseley.
Starting the second round of SAC play like they did the first, the Lady Raiders earned a win over Southern Lee High School.
Completing the season sweep of the Lady Cavaliers, Richmond won 50-29 and snapped a two-game conference skid. It was also the team’s largest conference win of the season.
A total of 10 Lady Raiders found the basket in the win, using a team-high 12 points from freshman guard J’Nasia Neal. Also reaching double-digits was senior guard C’Nedra Hinson with 10 points.
An 18-6 run during the span of the second quarter proved to be the difference maker for the Lady Raiders.
Richmond outscored Southern Lee 10-8 in the first quarter. Junior forward C’Niya Hinson recorded all three of her points of the game on a free throw and a transition bucket.
Neal and sophomore Quanna Bostic, who had 8 points, each netted a basket. C’Nedra Hinson got her scoring started with the first of her two three-pointers from the right side.
Five Lady Raiders added to the lead in the second quarter, which ended in a 28-14 lead at halftime. Neal scored the team’s first four points on a drive and a putback.
Junior Elise Dimery notched her two points on a shot under the basket and senior guard Kyla Sampson splashed down a pair of three-balls from the left wing on consecutive possessions to give the Lady Raiders a 22-14 lead.
In the closing 2:13 of the half, junior Jamia Crowder completed an old-fashioned three-point play for all of her points and C’Nedra Hinson connected on another triple, this time from the left wing.
Southern Lee (4-11, 1-5 SAC) chipped away at its deficit in the third quarter, holding Richmond to just four points. Neal and junior center Makailah Jackson each scored two free throws.
Leading 32-26 at the start of the final eight minutes, the efforts of five Lady Raiders returned the team to the win column.
Neal started again with four fast points on a short jumper and an offensive rebound putback to cap her scoring. Bostic, who had her final six points in the final stanza, scored on an inbound play and added a free throw on the and-one opportunity.
Senior forward Nyla Stroman made a transition basket and a 4-0 run by C’Nedra Hinson extended Richmond’s lead to 45-26.
Bostic added to the lead with a field goal and a free throw, and completing the scoring was freshman Ella Parker with two free throws with 22.9 seconds left on the clock.
Leading the Lady Cavaliers in scoring was Makayla Hall with 15 points and Jazlyn Luna scored 6 points. Zamaria Mellette and Brenta Latta combined for the final 9 points.
The Lady Raiders (7-10, 4-3 SAC) will host conference-leading Pinecrest High School (7-4, 5-0 SAC) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
