ROCKINGHAM — After a slow start to the first half of the season, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity boys’ basketball team got a win Tuesday it hopes will get some forward momentum going.
In the first game of a Mid-South Conference tripleheader opener against Pine Forest High School, the JV Raiders held on for a 58-53 win.
Two double-digit scorers paced Richmond — sophomore Xander Chavis (20 points) and sophomore Devin Haynes (14 points).
Five others scored in the game, including sophomore JaVeion Littlejohn (9 points). Other contributors were Zymere Gillespie (5 points), Cam Everett (4 points), and William Bryant and LaTavian Watkins (3 points each).
A close first quarter ended in a 12-8 lead for the JV Raiders thanks to a deep three-pointer by Watkins at the buzzer, his only points in the game.
Two free throws by Haynes and a putback by Chavis made it 4-0 through the game’s first three minutes. A drive by Everett and a floater in the lane by Littlejohn extended the lead to 8-4 with 2:02 left, Richmond’s largest lead of the quarter.
In the final minute, Littlejohn added a free throw before Watkins’ triple gave the JV Raiders a two-possession lead.
An early free throw by Littlejohn to start the second quarter was followed by a foul shot and a drive from Chavis, the first three of his seven second-quarter points.
Leading 16-13, Everett drove the paint for a bucket and Chavis turned a steal on the next possession into a transition basket. That put Richmond ahead seven points, 20-13, its first of four seven-point leads before the break.
Gillespie joined the scoring with a three-pointer from the top of the arc to maintain a 23-16 lead with 2:10 left. Another Chavis drive and a putback by Haynes in the closing 90 seconds preserved a 27-21 lead at halftime.
The JV Trojans took advantage of an 11-2 run to begin the third quarter to take a 32-29 lead, which forced a Richmond timeout. Haynes had a jumper as Richmond’s only points through the opening two minutes.
The pause in action worked in the JV Raiders’ favor, who regained the lead 39-34 thanks to a 10-2 stretch. Haynes had three of those points, all from the line, and Chavis added a bucket and a foul shot.
Baskets from Gillespie and Littlejohn capped the run, which put Richmond ahead for good.
Haynes, who had seven points in the third, kept it going in the final 2:12 with a drive and a free throw on back-to-back possessions. Chavis knocked in a shot under the hoop in the final 30 seconds to open Richmond’s lead to 44-41 heading into the fourth.
Slowing down the tempo a little bit in the final eight minutes, the JV Raiders capitalized on their shots and their defense thwarted any comeback attempt. Chavis laid in an early transition bucket for the first of his final six points of the game.
Bryant padded the lead when he drilled a three-pointer from the left corner with 7:02 to play, making it 49-43.
A jumper from Chavis and a Littlejohn transition bucket maintained the six-point lead, 53-47.
Forcing a couple of turnovers, along with playing keep-away, helped Richmond close the door. In the last 1:30 of regulation, Chavis, Haynes and Littlejohn combined for the team’s final five points.
The JV Raiders (2-5, 1-0 MSC) play home again Friday against Jack Britt High School. The game will start at 6 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish the results of Richmond’s varsity basketball games later tonight. Photo galleries will be published later in the week.
This article was updated on Jan. 13, 2026, at 9:32 p.m. to correct a player's name.
