ROCKINGHAM — Experience in the postseason paid off for the No. 2 Richmond Raiders Tuesday, whose stamina chipped away at a feisty No. 7 Cardinal Gibbons High School team.
Similar to their second round win Friday against Riverside-Durham High School, Richmond played a close first half of their 4A East third round playoff game against the Crusaders.
But the Raiders’ up-tempo style of play and press defense wore out Cardinal Gibbons, ending in an 88-68 win for Richmond.
Advancing to the Elite 8 for the third straight season, the Raiders used a 28-11 run in the third quarter to distance what was a four-point halftime lead.
Four Raiders scored double-digits in the team’s third consecutive 20+ point win this postseason. As a team, Richmond shot 35-of-59 from the floor (59.3%) and 12-of-25 from beyond the arc (48%).
Senior wing Paul McNeil Jr. scored a game-high 31 points on 13-of-20 (65%) with three triples. Fellow senior Javian Drake continued to produce at a high clip, netting 20 points on 7-of-13 from the field (53.8%) with a team-high five three-pointers.
Adding three triples was senior shooting guard Jamarion Wall, who finished with 13 points. Junior guard Ahaiver McDonald provided depth off the bench with 12 points, including a three-ball.
Other scorers were sophomore Jayden Hamilton (6 points), senior Braylon Barfield (4 points) and junior Keyonta Davis (2 points).
McNeil Jr. had a double-double with 11 boards and five assists. Drake had two assists and a rebound.
Several ties and lead changes highlighted the first quarter, which finished with Richmond ahead 22-19 following a three-pointer from McNeil Jr. just before the buzzer.
Drake erased an early deficit when he splashed home a three-pointer and made the ensuing foul shot for the four-point play. Barfield scored under the hoop to extend the lead to 6-3.
A run by the Crusaders put Richmond down by four points, but McNeil’s first triple of the game, followed by a mid-range jumper from Drake gave the Raiders a one-point advantage with 3:05 to go.
A jumper from McNeil Jr. tied it 13-13 and McDonald completed an old-fashioned three-point play following a drive to put the Raiders up 16-15.
In the last 30 seconds of the first quarter, Wall made a triple from the top of the arc and the aforementioned McNeil Jr. trey gave Richmond a three-point lead.
The bank was open for McDonald to start the second quarter, who made a three-ball off the glass to make it a six-point advantage. But the Crusaders went on a run to retake a 28-25 lead, but was tied when Drake drained a three-pointer from the left wing.
McNeil Jr. blocked a shot on the next run down the floor, which led to an easy transition bucket for McDonald. After a Cardinal Gibbons timeout and a bucket to tie the game at 30 points, Richmond went on a 7-0 run to put the team ahead for good.
During that stretch, McNeil Jr. scored the final five of his 13 first-half points on a drive and a bucket and a foul. McDonald sank a jumper and the Raiders took a 37-34 lead into the half.
Cardinal Gibbons (18-8) used a basket to cut its deficit to two points to start the third, but on the next rush, Wall was true on a three-ball which ignited Richmond’s game-changing run.
Part of a 10-0 stretch, Davis scored a jumper off a rebound, McNeil drove the lane and Drake made a deep three from the top.
After a Barfield bucket, a Drake drive and a McNeil Jr. three-pointer made it a 54-39 lead, the Crusaders called a timeout.
The break didn’t help the visitors as Richmond stayed dialed in and closed the remaining two minutes of the third on a 11-4 run.
Hamilton scored his first four points on a baseline jumper and a spinning shot off the glass, Wall finished a transition bucket and McNeil Jr. made two field goals and a free throw.
To start the fourth, Drake hit the first of his two triples in the stanza to give Richmond its largest lead of the game, 68-45. Both teams traded baskets in the closing eight minutes, but the Crusaders couldn’t close the gap.
McNeil Jr. made four field goals for his final eight points, Drake added another three-ball and Wall scored five points on a triple and a layup. McDonald and Hamilton each had two points on a pair of free throws and a basket, respectively.
Leading the Crusaders in their season-ending loss were Damon Phillips (18 points), Ronny Turner and Cash McSweeny (13 points each) and Trey Jones and Aiden Smalls (11 points each).
Onto the Elite 8 for the third time in as many seasons, the No. 2 Raiders (24-5) will welcome in No. 3 Green Level High School (29-1) Friday for the fourth round of the 4A East playoffs.
Richmond has hosted all three of those fourth round games and will try to advance to the 4A East regional championship round for the second season in a row.
The Green Level Gators defeated No. 6 Garner High School 74-58 in the third round. Friday’s game will be played at a time to be determined.
The Richmond Observer will publish a preview article before the game. A photo gallery will also be published later in the week.
Sports editor’s note: Unofficial statistics provided by assistant coach Keith Parsons and Willie Gaskins.
