ROCKINGHAM — Four more white jerseys joined the Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team’s bench Tuesday, adding extra depth to an already impressive squad.
The Raiders scored a season-high in points during their non-conference game against Cheraw High School, defeating the Braves 81-41 behind a running clock. With the victory, Richmond improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2011.
With the addition of juniors Jakolbe Baldiwn, Caleb Hood, Dalton Stroman and CJ Tillman following football season, the Raiders rotated two sets of five players for much of the game. Junior forward Nygie Stroman led Richmond with 17 points, and was one of four Raiders to reach double digits.
Also reaching double figures were senior forward Jarvis Tillman (12 points), senior guard Quamir Sivels (10 points) and junior guard Dylan Lewis (10 points). Hood and Dalton Stroman had a solid first game off the bench, contributing nine and seven points, respectively.
Cheraw’s Marshall Myers collected a game-high 22 points for the Braves.
“Tonight we were trying to get the new guys going and get the team ready for Friday,” head coach Donald Pettigrew said after the win. “We won’t sub five guys in like that all the time, but it worked out well for us tonight.
“Our energy level was really good,” he added. “By adding those four guys, we got a lot more athletic, which is crazy. The depth is tremendous, especially when Nygie or Jarvis come off the floor. Jakolbe and Dalton are right there to pick up the rebounding.”
All 10 of Richmond’s players would find the basket in the win, with Dalton Stroman leading the team with seven rebounds. Jarvis Tillman and Hood each scooped up six boards, while Nygie Stroman pulled in four of his own.
A three-pointer from Sivels made it a 7-3 Richmond lead early in the first, and following a timeout by the Braves, the Raiders went on a 14-6 run to close the frame. Jarvis Tillman scored seven of his 12 points in the first eight minutes, netting five consecutive points near the halfway point.
Nygie Stroman spun around Cale Burch in the paint for a nifty bucket to put the Raiders up 17-5, and a Sivels jumper coupled with a floater from junior guard PJ McLaughlin gave Richmond a 21-9 advantage after one.
The second quarter saw Richmond double its score with 21 more points, six of which came from Nygie Stroman. Hood opened the scoring with a reverse layup, and Baldwin made a steal at half court on the ensuing Cheraw possession and laid it in for two.
Dalton Stroman was one of four other Raiders to have two points in the second, tapping home a ball at the rim after following his own shot. Nygie Stroman put the Raiders up a dozen when he slammed home a breakaway one-handed jam with just over a minute to go.
Out of the halftime break, Lewis made adjustments and scored seven points on three straight possessions. He hit a mid-range jumper and a drive before stepping back and sinking a three-pointer from near the top of the key.
Nygie Stroman also found his three-point groove, dropping two of his own in the third, the second of which gave Richmond a 57-26 lead. Dalton Stroman splashed a triple from the right corner, and ended the quarter with a basket from beneath the glass.
Heading into the final frame leading 70-32, Hood and Jarvis Tillman combined for 10 of Richmond’s 11 points. Hood ended the game with an exclamation point, leaping up for a put-back jam following a shot from CJ Tillman.
McLaughlin finished the game with six points, followed by four points each from Baldwin and sophomore Jalen David.
“The thing about Dylan is he can make changes,” Pettigrew said of Lewis. “He struggled in the first half and then the guys fed him the ball and he started scoring. We’re connected as a group and they want everyone to do well. We’re so unselfish and that’s a true testament of our team.
“We’re focused on our defense when we play Pinecrest (High School) on Friday,” he closed. “Our offense will take care of itself. We present a tough matchup on offense, but even tougher on defense because we’re so disciplined.”
Friday’s game will be a matchup of unbeatens, as Richmond (5-0, 1-0 Sandhills Athletic Conference) will play host to Pinecrest (5-0, 1-0 SAC). Tipoff is expected for 7:30 p.m. following the Lady Raiders’ game.
