WADESBORO — A busy summer slate for the Richmond boys’ basketball team started with scrimmage at Anson High School on Monday.
The Raiders hit the court for the first time as a team since the 4A state playoffs on Feb. 25, and didn’t lose a step, as they defeated the Bearcats 84-50.
It was a trio of rising sophomore players who led Richmond’s scoring, starting with shooting guard Paul McNeil, who had a game-high 35 points.
McNeil, who is gaining interest from some of the top college programs around the country, was 14-for-19 from the field, including 6-for-12 from beyond the arc. He also added a free throw.
Point guard Javian Drake, who will join the varsity team this year, was the Raiders’ second-leading scorer, putting up 16 points. He shot 7-for-11, hitting six field goals, a triple and a free throw.
Rounding out the performance was wing Jamarion Wall, who scored 13 points on 5-for-9 from the floor. He hit two of his three shot attempts from downtown.
As a team, Richmond was 35-for-74 from the field (47.3%), 10-for-31 on three-pointers (32.3%) and 4-for-7 at the free throw line (57.1%).
The scrimmage against the Bearcats was a warmup for the annual Raider Classic Jamboree, which will return this week after not being held last summer. The two-day tournament will be held on June 9 and 10 in Richmond’s gymnasium.
Richmond will welcome in the following programs from North and South Carolina: Chesterfield, Gray’s Creek, Hoke County, Marlboro County, New Life Christian Academy, Pine Forest, Purnell Swett, Red Springs, South Granville, Southern Lee, Terry Sanford and Union Pines high schools.
The Raiders will play Marlboro County (12:40 p.m.), Terry Sanford (4 p.m.) and New Life (6:40 p.m.) on Wednesday, and Gray’s Creek (1 p.m.), Pine Forest (4:20 p.m.) and soon-to-be conference opponent Union Pines (5:40 p.m.) on Thursday.
Running two courts at a time, all games will be played with two 20-minute halves and a running clock. The clock will stop during the final two minutes of each half.
All field goals are worth two or three points, and players will take just one foul shot, valued and two or three points depending on the spot of the foul. Teams will be given three timeouts per game and one two-minute overtime period will be played if needed.
A total of 21 games will be played on Wednesday, starting at noon. Richmond’s junior varsity team will also play against Marlboro County (1:20 p.m.) and Red Springs (5:20 p.m.).
Thursday’s slate features 15 games (no junior varsity) and will begin at 1 p.m.
