SOUTHERN PINES — A late surge by the Richmond junior varsity boys’ basketball team nearly completed a comeback on Tuesday.
Returning to the court for the first time since Nov. 20, the JV Raiders opened Sandhills Athletic Conference play with a 57-50 loss at Pinecrest High School.
Richmond had two double-digit scorers in the game, led by sophomore point guard Amer Morrison’s season-high 27 points. He had 12 points in the first half and 15 points in the second half.
Freshman Chance Crowder had his best scoring performance of the season with 17 points. A big part of the fourth-quarter push, he scored 14 points in the final eight minutes.
Richmond trailed 12-7 after the opening quarter. Morrison had all of the JV Raiders’ points on two field goals and three free throws.
Both teams scored eight points in a low-scoring second quarter, giving the JV Patriots a 20-15 halftime advantage.
Morrison netted a pair of buckets and added a free throw. Also scoring one free throw apiece were Crowder, sophomore Yusaun Harrison and freshman Andrea Streeter.
A 21-13 run by Pinecrest in the third quarter put the JV Raiders down by 13 points.
Crowder had two points for Richmond and Morrison dialed in from beyond the arc for three triples and a field goal for 11 points.
Trailing 41-28, the JV Raiders made a push in the final period. Crowder was two points shy of matching the JV Patriots’ point total in the fourth. His 14 points came on four field goals and six shots from the line.
Morrison added a pair of baskets for his final four points. Helping the scoring were two free throws each by freshmen Josiah Brewington and Elijah Peterkin.
The JV Raiders (0-2, 0-1 SAC) will host Southern Lee High School on Monday. Play will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Stats provided by head coach Travis Byers.
