ROCKINGHAM — Taking care of business on its home court Friday, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team swept its oldest rival in running-clock fashion.
Hosting Scotland High School, the Raiders used big runs in the second and third quarters to notch their first running-clock victory of the season.
Meeting the Fighting Scots for the second time in three days, Richmond completed the non-conference series sweep with a 70-30 win.
Head coach Donald Pettigrew credited a little bit faster start, as well as the team’s depth and pushing the ball on defense as the main reasons for the 40-point blowout.
Toward the end of a 23-0 run during the third quarter, junior Chance Crowder dished the ball off to freshman Jimmy Tillman in transition for a bucket, which put Richmond up 35 points with 1:10 to go in the third, initiating the running clock.
A season-high 11 players found the hoop for Richmond, led by senior Jayden Hamilton’s 15 points. Also reaching double figures were freshman Cam’ron Coley (11 points) and Crowder (10 points), who returned from a one-game absence due to injury.
Continuing to contribute was sophomore Donovan Jones and his nine points. Adding to the point total were seniors Amer Morrison (6 points) and Domonic Tillman (5 points), Jimmy Tillman and senior Zamarion Robinson (4 points each), and juniors Amare Bell, Josiah Brewington and Yusaun Harrison (2 points each).
Similar to Tuesday’s meeting, Scotland (4-2) controlled the game’s scoring during the first half of the opening quarter. The Fighting Scots began the game on a 9-4 run, which would be their largest lead of the game.
Ending the final 4:35 of the first stanza on an 8-0 run by himself, Crowder made two trips to the line and connected for three free throws to make it a one-possession deficit.
With 1:50 on the clock, Crowder sank a deep three-pointer from the right wing to give the Raiders a 10-9 lead. Fouled going to the hoop with less than a second on the board, Crowder added two free throws to make it a 12-9 lead after one.
Up by a point with 6:44 on the second-quarter clock, Hamilton made a baseline drive and connected on the ensuing and-one opportunity to begin a 24-7 run to end the half.
Morrison had all six of his points in the second and Hamilton scored eight of his 15 points before the break. Following the and-one opportunity, Hamilton netted five of Richmond’s next seven points on two jumpers and a free throw.
Coley had his first six points as part of the run, using an assist from Morrison to score in transition to extend Richmond’s lead to 26-18. A putback by Domonic Tillman was followed by four consecutive points by Jones on a layup and two free throws.
Leading 32-20 with about two minutes left in the half, Coley made another close-range basket on a Morrison assist to start an 8-0 stretch into the break. Crowder ended his scoring with a jumper and Morrison finished a drive and threw down a one-handed jam.
A Hamilton jumper and a free throw from Coley is how the third quarter started. Scotland answered with seven straight points, starting with a putback by Collin Hill. Ending the run, however, was a shot from the charity stripe by Hamilton, which started the game-changing 23-0 run to end the final 5:33 of the third.
Contributing another four points to the run on two field goals was Hamilton, as Coley also connected for a pair of buckets. Jimmy Tillman and Robinson both recorded their four points in the third.
Jones helped pour on the scoring with a triple from the top of the arc and a layup in transition inside the final minute.
With the clock running, and Richmond up 66-27 to start the fourth, Pettigrew sent in reserve players for the entire final eight minutes.
The Raiders managed to outscore Scotland’s starters 4-2 in the fourth, using buckets by Bell and Harrison, each player’s first career varsity points.
It will be a short time between games for the Raiders (4-0), who will host non-conference Hillside High School (3-2) Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Friday’s win soon. The results of the JV boys’ basketball game will also be published this weekend.
