GASTONIA, N.C. — The Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team took fourth place in the 2019 Ashbrook Holiday Hoopfest over the weekend.
Closing out their third game in as many days on Saturday, the Raiders couldn’t overcome slow middle quarters and fell to Zebulon B. Vance High School 69-46 in the third-place matchup. Richmond won its first game over Weddington on Thursday, but fell to Hunter Huss and Vance to close the holiday tournament.
Facing some of their toughest competition to date this season, Raiders’ head coach Donald Pettigrew said the exposure to higher quality programs will help his team down the stretch as Richmond prepares to make its run through its Sandhills Athletic Conference schedule.
Capping off a stellar three-game performance, junior point guard Patrick McLaughlin was named to the First-Team All-Tournament roster, one of six players to do so.
He was joined by tournament MVP Deneil Mackins (Huss), Trent Orstander (Huss), Jordan McPhatter and Patrick Wessler (Butler High School) and Jaylen Curry (Vance).
“It is a blessing for me to be named first-team all-tournament,” McLaughlin shared after hearing the news. “The work I’ve been putting in during the offseason is finally showing off. But without my guys and my coaches pushing me, none of that would have happened.
“Going 1-2 wasn’t what we were expecting, but we took something positive from each of those losses,” he added. “We’re going to build on that and continue our push for a conference championship and then states.”
Through his three games, McLaughlin ran the point for the Raiders and commanded the floor well. He scored 18 total points, including seven points against Huss and Vance. In the tournament opener against Weddington, McLaughlin dished out 12 assists in the win.
During Saturday’s game, Richmond trailed by just four points at the end of the first quarter, 18-14. McLaughlin had a fast start with five first-quarter points, coming on two buckets and a free throw. Junior Caleb Hood added three of his nine total points, while fellow junior Nygie Stroman hit a bucket, the first of his team-high 13 points.
The Cougars opened the game up with a 20-point second quarter, while the Raiders had trouble finding the basket, and only added nine more.
Stroman drained a triple and a field goal, and was followed by two points each from Hood and senior Jarvis Tillman. At the break, Vance led 38-23.
The scoring hiccup for Richmond continued throughout the third quarter, seeing just six more points added to their total. Stroman and junior Dalton Stroman both scored two points, while Hood and junior CJ Tillman knocked down one free throw.
Down 51-29 at the start of the final quarter, Richmond started to get its scoring mojo back, and put up 17 points. Six Raiders would score, including three points each from Nygie Stroman and CJ Tillman. Adding field goals were McLaughlin, Hood, Dylan Lewis and Jarvis Tillman.
But Curry, who scored a game-high 20 points, along with teammates Kevin Conception, Trey Green, Corey Gaines and Kendall Smith, kept the pace going for Vance to help put the game away.
In the closing 25 seconds of the game, CJ Tillman suffered a lower leg injury that resulted in his leaving the game. Per the Richmond coaching staff, Tillman went to an area hospital where he was treated and released in good condition. The timetable for his return is unknown at this time.
Richmond now sits at 8-2 overall, but more importantly 2-0 in Sandhills Athletic Conference play. The Raiders were back on the court Monday for practice as they prepare to settle in against SAC opponents, starting with Jack Britt High School (3-8, 0-1) on Friday.
Tipoff in Fayetteville is expected around 7:30 p.m. following the girls’ varsity game.
