HAMLET — For the second time in as many nights, the defensive effort for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team paid dividends on Wednesday.
Switching up venues and playing at the Ninth Grade Academy, the Lady Raiders benefitted from their press defense to defeat Wilson High School (Florence, S.C.).
Using a trio of double-digit scorers, Richmond earned a 59-35 non-conference victory over the Lady Tigers.
Junior Jamyia Lindsey led all scorers with 18 points and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. She added five assists and a steal.
Sophomore guard Jasiah Gilchrist followed her career-best shooting performance from Tuesday with 12 points and three steals. Junior forward Rena Drake netted a season-high 10 points and contributed five boards and three takeaways.
Four other players scored in the win, including nine points from freshman forward Madisen Jackson, who snagged seven rebounds and had three steals. Senior forward Ryelan Lyerly netted six points and had a steal.
Rounding out the scoring were seniors C’Niya Hinson and MaKailah Jackson, both with two points. MaKailah Jackson had nine boards, three assists and two steals.
“(Wilson) was a pretty good team,” head coach Teddy Moseley said. “We were able to force a lot of turnovers in the first half and our press (defense) worked. The more we work on it, the better it gets.
“The girls were active out front all game,” he added. “Jasiah puts a lot of pressure on the ball out front. If we continue to get that kind of pressure, we’re going to be able to do some good things.”
Richmond took a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. Gilchrist had five of her seven first-half points on a bucket and three free throws. Madisen Jackson helped add on with four points on two field goals.
A bucket and a free throw by Lindsey and two foul shots by Drake gave the Lady Raiders the early six-point advantage.
Richmond outscored the Lady Tigers (1-1) by two points in a closer second quarter but took a 31-23 lead at the break. Lindsey got into a groove and scored a team-high seven points, finding the basket twice and paired it with three free throws.
Drake added to her seven first-half points with a field goal and three-pointer. Lyerly joined the scoring with the first of her two triples in the game and Gilchrist notched a duo of points at the line.
A 17-5 run in the third quarter helped distance the Lady Raiders for good. Seven more points from Lindsey led the team. Hinson and MaKailah Jackson both scored her respective bucket in the third.
Lyerly rattled home a three-ball and a bucket and free throw from Madisen Jackson made it a 48-28 lead. Wilson’s only points came on two baskets and a free throw.
Closing out the game, Richmond netted its final 11 points to Wilson’s seven points. Gilchrist had her final five points, added onto by three by Drake, two from Madisen Jackson and one more courtesy of Lindsey.
The Lady Tigers were led in scoring by Zoey Miller (10 points) and Logan Murray (9 points).
Richmond (4-3) has the rest of the week off and will host Southern Lee High School (0-4) for a Sandhills Athletic Conference game on Monday at 6 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: The Richmond Observer will publish an article of the JV Lady Raiders’ game on Thursday.
