ROCKINGHAM — The dynamic scoring duo of seniors Jakerra Covington and Jayla McDougald was on full display Friday night when the Lady Raiders welcomed in Lumberton High School.
Richmond and head coach Teddy Moseley completed the regular-season sweep of the Lady Pirates, using explosive first and third quarters to sink Lumberton 59-42.
Covington and McDougald both scored a season-high in points, with Covington penetrating the paint for 15 points. McDougald, the team’s highest averaging scorer, netted 21 points, using her skills from the perimeter to notch 15 points in the pivotal third frame.
Moseley noted the Lady Raiders know they have the ability to score at will, but it’s their defense that can turn the tide like it did against Lumberton (2-4, 1-3 Sandhills Athletic Conference).
“We had a game plan and we executed that tonight,” Moseley said. “If we do what we’re supposed to do, we can take care of business. We played great defense and from the beginning of the game, our defense set the tone.
“Lumberton likes to play from the inside out,” he explained. “Their post player (Sydney Jacobs) is pretty good and they like to put her in the middle and kick the ball out. Jakerra did a great job of denying her that pass and stopped the kick out. Our wings closed out and we played really well.”
Moseley said the Lady Raiders played a 3-2 zone defense the entire game and he pulled players up to allow Covington to work the post player.
He was also proud of the team for limiting August Smith, Lumberton’s leading scorer with 14 points, to just three points in the second half.
With the game knotted at four early in the first, Richmond used a 13-5 run to end the opening stanza. Junior Allyiah Swiney started the burst with a layup off a steal and McDougald drained the first of her game-high four three-pointers.
Sophomore Kyla Sampson answered with a three-ball, one of her two triples, Covington posted up on Jacobs in the paint and freshman Ryelan Lyerly rattled home a three-pointer from the right corner.
Smith scored her first four points, but Lumberton trailed 17-9 after the first.
The Lady Pirates outscored Richmond 10-8 in the second, but Covington started the stanza with a pair of mid-range jumpers. Adding on were Swiney and junior Jamiya Ratliff, who made a transition bucket and a baseline jumper, respectively.
Ratliff made a sweeping block on a driving Aydan Bullard with 20.3 seconds left in the half to help preserve a 25-19 lead. Covington led her team with six points at the break.
Senior Jayla McDougald (4) brings the ball up the court during the fourth quarter on Friday.
“Tonight I wanted to prove that I’m the player that I am,” Covington said. “I had more confidence, I went hard in pre-game and I was serious about wanting to win.
“Jayla and I have chemistry and we really fed off each other tonight,” she added. “She keeps me confident and we both know our strengths on the court.”
A 24-point scoring burst by the Lady Raiders in the third helped distance them for good. McDougald found her rhythm, hitting three triples, two field goals and two free throws for 15 of her 17 second-half points.
Covington added two more baskets in the paint and Sampson dropped her final three points on a shot from the left wing. Senior Davionna Campbell, playing for the first time since injuring her leg last week, added a pair of free throws.
“I’ve had a rough week, so at the beginning of the game I got focused,” McDougald said. “My teammates had my back and it was nice to come out and shoot the ball well, especially in the third quarter.
“When both Jakerra and I are playing well from the inside and outside, it’s hard for other teams to figure out who to guard,” she continued. “That’s a big reason why the game was so far out of reach tonight.”
In the closing eight minutes, Covington tacked on five insurance points. She hit a putback on an offensive rebound and sank three shots from the charity stripe. Two free throws each from McDougald and senior Asia Douglas, who finished with five points, and a solo tally from Ratliff sealed the victory.
“I told Jakerra to be confident, catch the ball in the paint and take shots,” Moseley said. “Even if she didn’t make every shot, Lumberton had to respect the fact that she was going to shoot the ball. That allowed her some good looks.
“Jakerra hit a couple shots in the paint and that forced (Lumberton) to draw up on her and send her to the line,” he added. “I was proud of the way she rebounded, hit free throws, and she played the game we all knew she could play.”
Sampson recorded six points off the bench, Swiney had four points and both Lyerly and Ratliff contributed three points.
Looking to keep the wins rolling in, the Lady Raiders (5-3, 3-2 SAC) will host Seventy-First High School (4-2, 4-1 SAC) on Tuesday. Tip is set for 5 p.m.
