ROCKINGHAM — Closing out its season at home on Friday, the Richmond Senior High School junior varsity girls’ basketball team completed a perfect run.
Defeating Jack Britt High School 54-21, the Lady Raiders ended their condensed season with a 5-0 overall record.
Because of the limited slate, only three other Sandhills Athletic Conference programs produced a JV girls team. They were Jack Britt, Purnell Swett and Pinecrest high schools, and Richmond ran the table.
Had it been a normal season with all eight SAC schools participating, head coach Demi Watkins said she believed her team “could have finished in first or second place.”
All of Richmond’s wins were by double figures in 2021, and defeated its opponents by an average of 23.8 points per game. The Lady Raiders’ largest margins of victory were 39 points and 33 points, both against Jack Britt.
“It was a great season,” Watkins commented. “We ended the season on a high note. It’s sad we only had five games, and I feel like we were just starting to get into a real groove.”
Three Lady Raiders reached double figures in the season finale, and the team was led by freshman Keyoni Nichols and her game-high 17 points. Sophomore Nyla Stroman added 13 points and freshman C’Niya Hinson netted 10 points.
Out of the gates, the Lady Raiders put 15 points on the board in the opening eight minutes to take a 15-4 lead. Hinson led the way with four points on two field goals and Nichols rattled home the first of her team-high three three-pointers.
Jasmine Jennings and Jasmen Williams both scored their respective two points in the game, and Stroman and Styles each contributed two points. Stroman hit two shots from the line and Styles added a field goal.
Richmond extended its lead with eight more points in the second quarter to take a 23-8 lead into the break. Hinson, Nichols, Stroman and Styles all had a bucket in the frame.
A 15-point third quarter, coupled with 16 more points in the final stanza, capped the Lady Raiders’ perfect season. Five players found the basket in the third, starting with five points from Nichols on a jumper and a triple.
Hinson finished her scoring with four more points, all of field goals, and Stroman added two points. Sophomore Deveah Robinson and freshman Jamia Crowder joined the scoring mix with their two points each in the game.
In the fourth, Nichols and Stroman both tacked on seven points. The two teammates each hit a triple and two field goals. Styles, who finished the game with six points, recorded her final two points.
“I am beyond thankful for even having a season at all, and I am proud of how the girls made the best out of a truly unforgettable season,” Watkins closed. “Coach (Tonia) Breeden and I are very proud to be the coaches of these talented young ladies.”
