ROCKINGHAM — The Lady Raiders are headed back to the third round of the NCHSAA 4A East state playoffs for the second straight season.
All gas and no breaks from the first possession Tuesday, No. 3 Richmond sank No. 14 Topsail High School 58-43 to advance.
An aggressive and efficient offensive attack by the Lady Raiders resulted in a double-digit lead for more than three quarters of the game.
Weaving through the Lady Pirates’ 2-3 zone defense, Richmond used the efforts of seven scorers to keep its playoff run alive.
Senior point guard Jamyia Lindsey (20 points), junior guard Jasiah Gilchrist (17 points) and sophomore forward Madisen Jackson (12 points) all reached double figures.
Netting three points was junior J’Nasia Neal, and senior Sa’Quanna Bostic, junior Olivia Brown and sophomore Kaylan Parsons each added a bucket.
Two smooth mid-range jumpers from Jackson began a pullaway first quarter for Richmond. Leading 4-3, a triple by Neal in the right corner started a 15-0 run.
Bostic followed with a shot under the hoop and Gilchrist scored the first three of her eight first-half points on a bucket and a foul.
A timeout by Topsail didn’t help, as a drive and jumper by Lindsey, paired with a three-ball from Gilchrist along the right side made it a 16-point lead.
Topsail scored the final bucket of the quarter to cut Richmond’s lead to 19-5 after the first.
A closer second quarter ended in a 12-7 run for the Lady Raiders. Lindsey, who had a team-high nine points at the break, sank a trey from the right corner to pad Richmond’s lead to 15 points.
Gilchrist had the next three points for the team, connecting on the back end of a trip to the line and a bucket under the hoop on an assist from Jackson. An athletic drive by Jackson through the paint put Richmond ahead by 18 points.
An old-fashioned three-point play by Lindsey and a Gilchrist transition basket in the final 1:31 of the half gave Richmond its largest lead of the first half, 31-12.
Topsail (20-8) made a little bit of an effort to close the gap in the third quarter, finding a rhythm with an 8-2 stretch to pull within 12 points. Scoring the basket for Richmond was Lindsey on a drive.
A free throw from Gilchrist with 3:37 to play in the third began a 9-2 scoring stretch for Richmond which regained a 19-point advantage. Lindsey had six of those points on a triple and three free throws.
Inside the closing two minutes of the third, Jackson returned an offensive board to the hoop, Brown collected her two points on an assist down low and Gilchrist connected on a free throw.
Leading 47-31 entering the fourth quarter, Richmond used four points from Jackson on a pair of field goals and three points from Lindsey to lead the scoring.
Parsons made a shot under the rim to make it 56-39 with 2:25 to play. Also scoring two points in the fourth was Gilchrist.
The No. 3 Lady Raiders (21-5) are set to host No. 11 New Hanover High School (21-8) in the third round Tuesday.
The third round game will be the second meeting between the Lady Raiders and the Lady Wildcats this season. Richmond defeated New Hanover 48-35 on Nov. 23 at home.
No. 11 New Hanover defeated No. 27 Millbrook High School 55-24 in the second round. Tip-off for the third round game is tentatively set for Tuesday at 7 p.m.
