ROCKINGHAM — At the onset of the season, Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball coach Donald Pettigrew was aiming to be a top three team in the Sandhills Athletic Conference.
Thanks to a 9-5 finish against SAC opponents, which included an eight-game winning streak, the Raiders earned a No. 3 seed in this year’s SAC tournament.
Following Friday’s regular-season finale win against Scotland High School, a 59-52 edging, the Raiders will host a home tournament game Monday against No. 6 Jack Britt High School.
The scenario this season is much different than last year’s when the Raiders were tied for last in the SAC and had to travel to Scotland in the conference tournament opener. They made a first-round exit, but Pettigrew believes this year’s team has the capabilities to make a run at the title.
“It’s a big thing for us,” Pettigrew commented on the No. 3 seed. “We finished next to last last year and only won two games in the conference. So it’s a big deal for us to turn it around and win nine games. It’s especially big for my seniors — this is why they’ve put in so much for this program.
“It’s definitely a realistic thought for us to win the tournament,” he added. “Right now we just have to focus on one game at a time. We have to win the first round before we think of the second round or the championship. But the guys believe they can do it.”
After starting 0-4 against SAC opponents this season, a top three finish seemed bleak for the Raiders. But following a heartbreaking loss to Hoke County High School at home on Jan. 8, the Raiders strung together eight straight wins, inclduding wins over the four teams they lost to to open the conference schedule.
Monday’s matchup will be the third time the Raiders and Buccaneers have met this season. In the previous two contests, the two teams split, each winning on the road. On Jan. 4, the Bucs edged the Raiders 42-37 in a defensive slugfest, before Richmond avenged the loss on Feb. 1 with a 49-48 nail-biter than saw sophomore Nygie Stroman hit a layup in the final six seconds.
This time around, Pettigrew expects it to be just as competitive, especially with the stakes so high. But one player who the Raiders need to step up against the Bucs is senior forward Xavier Pettigrew, who has been shut down during the two regular season games.
“It’s going to be another tough one,” Pettigrew said. “In the two games we played so far, Zay didn’t score much. Hopefully he’ll keep it going after having a good scoring night (23 points) against Scotland.
“Coach Walker does a good job defense, so our guys just have to come ready to play physical for 32 minutes,” he added. “We need to keep playing like we were during the winning streak. We need to get out to a fast start, especially playing at home. Our post guys have to play big.”
In terms of the NCHSAA state playoffs, the Raiders are currently ranked as the No. 34 team according to Maxpreps. The 48-team playoff field has yet to be set, but Richmond is in thanks to a top-four finish in the SAC.
However, a sweep through the SAC tournament could land the Raiders a higher berth in the playoffs. The goal all season for Richmond has been to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season when it was the highest scoring team in the nation (100.9 points per game).
“I hope the community can make it out on such short notice and show out like they’ve done all year,” Pettigrew concluded. “Our home crowd is electric.”
Tip-off against the Bucs is set for 7 p.m. Monday inside Raider Gymnasium.
