PEMBROKE — Spreading the floor, and the scoring, was the key to Richmond Senior High School’s season-opening win on Tuesday.
On the road at Sandhills Athletic Conference opponent Purnell Swett High School, the Raiders used five double-digit scorers to take down the Rams 66-45. The win marked the second straight season Richmond began with a victory.
Not afraid to use the depth on his bench, head coach Donald Pettigrew saw three seniors and two freshmen reach double figures. The Raiders were led by senior point guard Patrick McLaughlin, who ended the night with a game-high 15 points.
Fellow senior Nygie Stroman picked up a double-double, scoring 12 points and adding a team-high 16 rebounds. Making his varsity debut, freshman Paul McNeil also notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.
Rounding out the scoring attack for the Raiders was senior Dylan Lewis and freshman Jamarion Wall, who scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Travis Thomas chipped in eight points.
Richmond also debuted their new Nike shoes, emblazoned with the No. 22, honoring fallen teammate Jalen David. The Raiders also had towels with David’s number on them.
“Our energy was really good and this is always a tough place to play,” Pettigrew said. “The guys came out early and played with a lot of intensity.
“This is what we’ve been working toward all year. We have a lot of guys who can handle the ball, get to the basket and create scoring chances for other players. We didn’t shoot the ball great, but we had five guys who were able to reach double digits.”
The Raiders scored 17 points in the opening frame to take a nine-point lead. Six different players would find the basket, with McNeil and Stroman each scoring four.
A two-handed jam by Stroman with 3:45 left started a 7-2 run to close the quarter. Coming off the bench, Wall splashed a three-pointer, one of his two in the half, from the left corner.
The Rams gained momentum in the early part of the second quarter, opening on a 12-3 run to tie the game at 20 points. Connor Harris helped with six of his eight points, including a triple that knotted the score with 4:20 left in the half.
McLaughlin went to the line and hit a free throw, which started a 7-0 run by Richmond to break the game open. That was followed by two shots from Thomas under the hoop and a Stroman layup.
Back-to-back buckets from McLaughlin and a pair of free throws from Lewis gave the Raiders a 33-24 halftime lead.
“It feels great to come out and get a chance to play. We were ready tonight and it showed,” McLaughlin said. “Being a senior, I’m trying to step up and be a leader and spread the floor. And the guys ran with me tonight.
“Everybody can dribble and that helped us space the floor out, which led to open shots.”
Richmond outscored the Rams 16-3 in the third quarter, and led by as many as 24 points in the second half.
Points from Thomas, McLaughlin, Wall and Lewis opened it up to a 17-point lead, and a putback by McNeil just before the buzzer gave the Raiders a 49-27 advantage heading into the fourth.
McLaughlin proved big in the final eight minutes, adding seven points, five of which came from the charity stripe. Lewis and Stroman each scored four points and McNeil added his final two points to seal the deal.
“It felt good to play my first varsity game tonight,” McNeil recalled. “But the competition isn’t anything new to me. I felt good out there.
“Boxing out really helped me with the rebounds,” he added. “My shot really wasn’t falling so I had to start driving the ball. It’s good to be 1-0.”
Cameron Ferguson led Purnell Swett with 11 points and Logan Jacobs added 10 points for the Rams.
“Our depth proves we have a lot more coming this season,” Pettigrew explained. “Paul didn’t shoot the ball well, and that’s what he does best. Dakota (Chavis) didn’t play tonight and he’s another great scoring guard that we have.
“Tonight showed how hard the guys have been working during the offseason,” he closed. “Going forward, we play in a tough conference, and we need to keep everyone scoring. Travis will be big for us, too.”
Richmond (1-0) will not play its regularly-scheduled game against Pinecrest High School on Friday as a precaution due to COVID-19, Pettigrew confirmed. No make-up date has been announced.
The Raiders’ next game is set for Tuesday, Jan. 12, at home against Jack Britt High School. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
