ROCKINGHAM — Completing a playoff doubleheader sweep Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team took care of business on its home court.
The No. 9 Raiders played host to No. 24 Ballantyne Ridge High School in the first round of the NCHSAA 7A West state playoffs and rolled to a 74-56 victory.
The win over the Ridge Wolves followed the Richmond girls’ basketball team’s first-round playoff win over Ballantyne Ridge, too.
Aside from two small deficits through the first four minutes of the first quarter, the Raiders led for the entire game. Richmond took a double-digit lead near the end of the second quarter and didn’t allow Ballantyne Ridge within 10 points the rest of the game.
Head coach Donald Pettigrew said the Raiders did what they needed to do to advance to the second round, but shared that the team has to tighten up its defense if it wants to keep its playoff run going.
Nine players found the hoop for Richmond in the win, led by senior Amer Morrison (14 points) and sophomore Donovan Jones (13 points).
Fellow sophomore Kerick Hairston Jr. was the third Raider in double digits, netting 12 points, all on three-pointers. Senior Jayden Hamilton rounded out those in double figures by adding 10 points.
Richmond used seven points from senior big man Domonic Tillman, with junior Chance Crowder and freshman Cam’ron Coley each scoring six points. Other contributors were junior Josiah Brewington (4 points) and senior Yusaun Harrison (2 points).
The Ridge Wolves (10-16) opened the game on a six-point run, but baskets from Tillman, Morrison and Hamilton erased the deficit to tie the game.
Trailing by two points, Hamilton connected on a deep triple from near the top of the arc to make it 9-8 with 3:17 to play and gave Richmond the lead for good. Morrison added another basket to make it a three-point lead.
The Raiders closed the final two minutes of the first on a 6-1 run to take a 17-10 advantage. Jones entered the scoring column when he bookended a pair of solo free throws around a putback off the glass. A floater by Crowder accounted for the other two points.
Runs of 8-2 and 9-0 padded the Raiders’ lead in the second quarter. Starting the first stretch, Morrison and Harrison both scored from close range. Four straight points from Hamilton on a drive and a putback made it 25-15 with 5:39 on the second-quarter clock.
Hairston Jr. ignited the other scoring run with a three-pointer from the right corner just inside of three minutes. Morrison splashed down a triple from the top of the arc and Hairston Jr. played deja vu from the same spot with his second of four three-balls in the game.
Ballantyne Ridge scored the final three points of the half, but Richmond carried a 34-24 lead into the break.
Wearing out the Ridge Wolves with their fast-tempo offense and shutdown press, the Raiders went on a 22-13 scoring barrage in the third quarter. Jones, Morrison and Tillman each had five points in the third.
Jones opened with a drive and Tillman connected on two free throws in the first minute. Following a free throw by Hamilton, Jones converted on an old-fashioned three-point play and Tillman made a mid-range jumper to build the lead to 44-28.
Morrison had the next four points for Richmond on two free throws and a transition basket. Brewington, who entered the game in the third, had the next four points. He made two free throws then danced his way through baseline traffic for an athletic shot off the glass.
Brewington’s bucket put the Raiders up 24 points, 54-30, with just under two minutes to go. Getting his first bucket of the game, Coley ended the high-scoring quarter with a transition basket with 18 seconds left.
Up 56-35 to start the fourth, Richmond allowed the Ridge Wolves to pull within 14 points. Putting a stop to the run was Jones, who muscled his way through the paint.
When Hairston Jr. knocked down a three-pointer in the left corner with 4:51 to play, he started an 11-0 scoring stretch that favored the Raiders. Coley had four of the next six points on two transition baskets, with Jones capping his scoring with another drive.
Crowder scored once more on an open layup to end the run. Not taking their foot off the gas, the Raiders used Hairston Jr.’s final three-ball and a putback by Crowder in the final 1:12 to ice the game.
The No. 9 Raiders (19-6) will look to keep their season alive on the road and upset No. 8 Weddington High School (17-10) in the second round Thursday.
The Warriors had a bye in the first round. An official game time is to be announced at the time of publication.
