FAYETTEVILLE — Not having most of its lineup due to COVID-19 protocols didn’t stop the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team from running away with a non-conference win on Saturday.
Playing in the MLK Dream Jam at Terry Sanford High School, the Lady Raiders cruised past Cape Fear Christian Academy 60-24.
Limited to just six players, the Lady Raiders used three double-digit scoring efforts to reach the 10-win mark this season. It was also the team’s third consecutive win.
Freshman point guard Jamyia Lindsey paced the team with 25 points and added seven assists and seven steals.
Both notching 16 points and five steals apiece were senior Jai’Maya Ratliff and freshman Rena Drake. The scoring performance from Drake was a new career-high.
Freshman point guard Jamyia Lindsey (23) drives the lane in Saturday’s win over Cape Fear Christian Academy. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
“For only having two days of practice this week because of so many players in quarantine, I thought we played well,” head coach Teddy Moseley said. “The girls came out with a good effort and our goal was to jump ahead early.
“Rena had a big game for us today, and both Jamyia Lindsey and Jai’Maya Ratliff played well,” he added. “The defensive effort was really good, and going to the press changed the tide for us.”
Senior Miccah Wall got the game’s scoring started with a free throw four second into the first quarter, her only point of the game. Leading 5-4 early, the Lady Raiders went on a 7-0 run to go up by eight points.
Lindsey scored all five of her first-quarter points in that span, while Drake capped her four-point quarter with a floater in the lane.
Cape Fear closed the gap to two points, but Ratliff added a layup with 10 seconds left for the last of her four points. After one, Richmond led 14-10.
Richmond broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Eagles 23-4. The Lady Raiders used the first two minutes to go on a 10-0 run, which featured back-to-back triples by Drake from the right wing.
Lindsey scored the other four points on a steal and an easy bucket along with two free throws. Moseley noted that switching defensive schemes allowed for the Lady Raiders to close passing lanes and force turnovers.
“We came out in man and that was a risky move after picking up two quick fouls,” Moseley explained. “My assistants suggested we switch to the press and it was downhill from there.”
Senior Jai’Maya Ratliff (24) defends against Cailee Ray (2) during the second quarter. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
A jumper by Laney Trainer at the 5:30 mark stopped the bleeding for CFCA (10-3), but a Lindsey layup on the next possession sparked a 13-2 run by Richmond.
Drake and Lindsey both scored eight points in the second, followed by Ratliff with seven points. At the intermission, the Lady Raiders were ahead 37-14.
The third quarter was controlled by Richmond’s defense, which continued to force turnovers. The Lady Raiders went on another big run, 16-6, to carry a 33-point lead into the final period.
Lindsey notched 11 points in the third stanza, assisted by three points from Ratliff and two more from Drake.
In the closing eight minutes, Drake and Ratliff tallied one more bucket apiece. Sophomore Jamia Crowder, who made her varsity debut, hit a shot for her two points. Lindsey added a free throw with just over a minute remaining.
Trainer led the Lady Eagles with nine points, and teammate Perri Caroline Ennis chipped in eight points.
The Lady Raiders (10-4, 4-0 SAC) will return to Sandhills Athletic Conference play with two games this upcoming week. First will be a battle for first place on the road at Scotland High School (9-2, 3-0 SAC) on Tuesday, followed by a road trip to Southern Lee on Friday.
“Hopefully we’ll be healthy enough and get a good practice in on Monday,” Moseley closed. “Being at the 10-win mark is huge and the game against Scotland is for first place. We need to go in healthy and continue the momentum we’re riding right now.”
Richmond’s 4-0 mark against conference opponents is the best start under Moseley and the best record to begin conference play since the 2010-11 season. Tip-off for both games is set for 6 p.m.
