ROCKINGHAM — Trailing for the majority of Tuesday’s first round playoff game, the Richmond Raider basketball team dug deep to escape an early scare.
Head coach Donald Pettigrew used the term “resilient” to describe the No. 8 Raiders’ efforts against No. 25 South View High School.
Erasing an eight-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, Richmond used a 31-18 run in the final eight minutes to eliminate the Tigers 84-79 to begin the NCHSAA 4A East postseason.
Free throw shooting was an issue for the Raiders in the win, who finished the game 14-for-32 from the line. But when the shots mattered late in the game, Richmond connected on the free opportunities to ice the win.
After senior Keyonta Davis tied the game at 70 points with an old-fashioned three-point play with 3:20 to go, and senior Ahaiver McDonald tied it again a possession later, senior Davion Ingram swished a three-pointer from the left corner to make it a 75-72 lead with 3:01 to play.
That triple put the Raiders ahead for good, as they used six free throws and a bucket in the closing 1:48 to advance.
Seven Raiders scored Tuesday, including five players in double-figures — McDonald (18 points), Ingram (15 points), sophomore Chance Crowder (15 points), Davis (11 points) and junior Jayden Hamilton (10 points).
Juniors Amer Morrison and Domonic Tillman added nine points and six points, respectively.
Richmond shot 33-for-68 from the field (48.5%), including a 19-for-30 effort in the second half (63.3%). After making just two free throws on a dozen attempts in the first half, the Raiders were 12-for-20 from the line in the final two quarters (60%).
South View opened the game on an 11-0 run and led 19-11 after the first quarter. Richmond continued to chip away at its deficit and took its first lead, 26-24, with 4:29 to go in the second quarter when Ingram finished a layup.
However, a 12-4 run by the Tigers (16-11) to finish the second gave the visitors a 36-30 lead at halftime.
The Raiders trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. Crowder, who had eight points in the third, connected on a jumper that started an 8-4 run to close the final 1:55 of the third.
A one-handed breakaway jam by Ingram pulled Richmond within eight points, 61-53, to start the fourth quarter.
Richmond’s decisive efforts in the fourth started with a pair of buckets from Hamilton, who had six points in the final stanza. Morrison made a free throw, which was followed by two Davis free throws to make it a 64-60 deficit.
Field goals from Crowder and Ingram closed the gap and Morrison hit a triple in transition from the left corner to pull the Raiders within a point, 68-67, with 4:43 to go.
Davis, who scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth, finished a shot in the paint and added the and-one opportunity to tie the game at 70 points. With 2:30 to play, McDonald powered his way through the lane to tie the game again at 72 points.
Ingram attempted just one three-pointer in the game and it proved to be the difference maker. Similar to Morrison’s three-ball moments before, Ingram drained the shot from the left side to make it 75-74.
Ingram was later fouled with 1:48 to go, which sent Richmond to the bonus. He connected on one of his two chances.
Crowder was good on both of his bonus free throws with 1:21 to play and McDonald scored the final field goal of the game for Richmond to make it an 80-76 lead with 67 seconds left in regulation.
Two free throws apiece from Hamilton and Davis in the closing 46.2 seconds gave Richmond enough distance to hold on for the win.
The No. 8 Raiders (16-9) will host No. 9 Overhills High School (18-9) Friday during the second round.
The No. 9 Jaguars defeated No. 24 Cleveland High School 44-42 Tuesday to advance and play Richmond. Tip-off is tentatively set for 7:30 p.m.
Sports editor’s note: Statistics provided by assistant coach Keith Parsons.
