ROCKINGHAM — A strong start by a pair of returning sophomore shooters, coupled with a strong second half by another sophomore, guided the Richmond junior varsity basketball team to a win on Friday.
Opening the new slate against non-conference Purnell Swett High School, the JV Raiders rolled to a 65-34 victory.
The hot hands of Keidreion Crump and Keyonta Davis sparked an elusive first half that put the game out of reach early. Fellow sophomore Ahaiver McDonald took control in the final two periods along with Davis to secure the win.
Both Davis and McDonald netted a game-high 19 points for the JV Raiders, while Crump finished with nine points.
Freshman Zamarion Robinson finished with six points and sophomore Davion Ingram added five points.
Netting nine points apiece in the opening two quarters, Crump and Davis traded buckets to give the JV Raiders a 31-13 lead at halftime.
Using a 12-1 run after the opening tip, Crump scored the game’s first five points on a three-pointer from the left wing and a transition bucket following a steal.
Ingram added the first of his five first-half points on a putback. Another Crump triple and a fastbreak bucket from Ingram forced a timeout with 4:31 left in the first.
In the closing minutes of the opening stanza, McDonald and freshmen Amer Morrison each added a bucket and freshman Tate Craven connected on a free throw.
Carrying an 18-6 lead into the second, Richmond poured it on with an 11-0 spurt. A foul shot from Ingram was followed by eight straight points from Davis. He hit back-to-back triples from the left wing and finished a drive in the paint.
Three more points from McDonald and a free throw from Davis gave Richmond an 18-point lead at the break.
Sophomore Ahaiver McDonald (15) scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Davis was the scoring catalyst in the third quarter who helped put the game away. He hit two baskets and added four free throws.
McDonald warmed up and netted a pair of buckets to go along with a foul shot and Morrison hit a basket for the final of his four points.
In the closing eight minutes, McDonald added his final nine points on four field goals and a shot from the charity stripe.
Craven and Davis scored their final two points and Robinson netted all six of his points off the bench in the last four minutes of regulation.
The JV Raiders (1-0) return to action on Nov. 30 with a non-conference game on the road at Purnell Swett (0-1). Play will start at 4:30 p.m.
