ROCKINGHAM — Slow and steady was the name of the game for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team Tuesday.
It wasn’t the Lady Raiders’ highest-scoring game of the season, but the execution of plays and smart basketball led them to a double-digit win in their conference opener.
Ending a 10-day break between games, the Lady Raiders defeated Pine Forest High School 42-23 to begin their Mid-South Conference schedule.
Senior J’Nasia Neal was big on both ends of the floor, leading the team in rebounds and with 12 points.
Three players each scored eight points each — senior Jasiah Gilchrist, junior Madisen Jackson and freshman Amiah Streeter. Another trio of players finished with two points apiece — senior Olivia Brown, junior Iyana Little and sophomore Erin Drumwright.
Head coach Taneika Reader said she expected there to be some rust, but added she was pleased that the team executed plays when it mattered.
Despite the low-scoring half by both teams, Richmond managed to keep a double-digit lead for most of the opening two quarters.
Lots of shots were put up by the Lady Raiders and Lady Trojans in the first stanza, but few fell. Richmond led 8-4 thanks to two points each from Neal, Jackson, Drumwright and Streeter.
A 6-0 run to start the second quarter by Richmond made it a 14-4 lead. A Jackson jumper in the paint was followed by a Streeter shut under the rim and a drive by Gilchrist.
The Lady Trojans (7-8, 0-1 MSC) cut their deficit to six points before Neal made a close-range basket and a baseline drive to open the lead back to 10 points.
Richmond’s final basket of the half was a field goal by Little inside the final 2:15. Neal appeared to hit a triple at the buzzer that was initially counted, but it was waved off.
At the break, the Lady Raiders led 20-11.
Similar to the second quarter, Richmond used a scoring surge to further distance itself to begin the third stanza. This time it was a 6-2 run to make it a 26-13 lead. Jackson sandwiched a pair of jumpers from near the elbow around another smooth basket from Neal along the baseline.
Pine Forest scored just four points in the third and went scoreless for the final 3:56 of the quarter. That drought spanned to the 6:13 mark of the fourth.
Gilchrist netted four points late in the third on a pair of transition layups. Extending the lead to 32-15 to start the fourth was Neal, who muscled past two defenders on a drive through the paint.
The Lady Raiders outscored Pine Forest 10-8 in the fourth. Streeter scored her final four points on two field goals, both of which were close-range buckets under the rim, which were also the team’s final points.
Netting a basket each in the final eight minutes were Neal, Gilchrist and Brown.
The Lady Raiders (7-6, 1-0 MSC) continue conference play Friday at Jack Britt High School (5-8, 0-0 MSC). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
Click here to read about the Richmond junior varsity boys’ basketball team’s 58-53 over Pine Forest.
The Richmond Observer will publish the results of Richmond’s boys’ varsity basketball game later tonight. Photo galleries will be published later in the week.
