LAURINBURG — When senior point guard Patrick McLaughlin left Friday’s regular-season finale in the second quarter with an injury, the rest of the Richmond Raiders knew they had to step up and win for their teammate.
Friday’s rivalry showdown at Scotland High School went in Richmond’s favor thanks to a 26-point fourth quarter that helped the Raiders to a 73-55 win.
Buttoning up its regular season with a victory, Richmond ended the condensed Sandhills Athletic Conference schedule with a 5-3 overall record and 4-2 against conference foes to secure a third-place finish.
That marked the third straight year the Raiders finished third under head coach Donald Pettigrew.
Senior Dylan Lewis, who scored 15 points, said the team rallied around not having their floor general in McLaughlin.
“We knew we had to come out ready to play, and when P.J. left the game, the whole team knew we had to win. Everyone really stepped up tonight,” Lewis said. “We never relaxed and stayed aggressive and played with a lot of heart.”
Three other players would join Lewis in double digits, starting with freshman shooting guard Paul McNeil’s game-high 21 points. Fellow freshman Jamarion Wall chipped in 11 points off the bench, tying his season high, and senior Nygie Stroman had 10 points.
Sophomore Dakota Chavis contributed seven points, junior Deshon Watson netted six points in the second half and McLaughlin had three points prior to his departure.
Pettigrew noted the Raiders always expect a tough matchup with their rivals, no matter what either team’s record is. The game lived up to the intensity between the two programs and Pettigrew was proud of how the Raiders battled in a tough atmosphere.
“When we play, we go out to win, but Scotland is a powerful team,” Pettigrew said. “Coach (Matthew) Justin does a good job of getting his guys ready. We were able to match their energy tonight.
“We made it tough on them, contesting every shot,” he added. “We talked about not allowing three pointers and forcing tough twos, and our guys did good contesting them all night.”
Five different Raiders would score in the first quarter, but it was McLaughlin’s three-pointer from the top of the arc with two seconds left that gave Richmond a 14-11 advantage.
Lewis led the way with four points, while Chavis knocked down a three-pointer from the right wing. Stroman and McNeil both started their night with two points.
The Raiders built a 10-point lead in the early part of the second stanza, 22-12, but Scotland’s Mandrell Johnson went on a 7-0 run by himself to close the gap. Following a bucket by Lamonte Cousar, two of his 18 points, Scotland trailed by just two points.
But McNeil rang home a triple from the right corner, and Wall drove the lane with 46 seconds left to give Richmond a 27-24 lead. Wall, who also scored two three-pointers in the second, led the team with eight points at the break.
“I’ve been trying to get back in the motion of things,” Wall said of his return after missing the first handful of games. “I keep doing what Coach wants me to do, I keep going and never give up.
“When P.J. went down, Coach put me in as a freshman and I wanted to step up,” he added. “We ran the 3-2 zone better in the second half and our defense turned into offense. We locked in and spread the court and knocked down shots.”
Richmond outscored Scotland 46-31 in the final two periods. Both Lewis and Watson scored six points in the third and Stroman added four more points, including a two-handed jam on an offensive rebound.
Scotland wouldn’t go away quietly, using Johnson and Cousar to cut its deficit to one point, 41-40 with 2:20 remaining in the third. But a baseline drive from Watson and two drives off the glass from Lewis extended the Raiders’ lead to 47-40.
Five free throws, another Lewis drive and a shot from Chavis in the paint start the fourth quarter put Richmond up 12 points. McNeil came alive in the final three minutes, hitting two triples, a field goal and three shots from the stripe for his final 11 points.
“Paul is a natural scorer and Dylan has picked it up the last few games,” Pettigrew said of the offensive output. “He’s running with a high motor and driving the basket. Jamarion is knocking the rust off and he’s getting his legs back under him after being out for so long.”
Johnson finished with a team-high 20 points for Scotland (3-6, 1-6 SAC). Jackson Sellers chipped in seven points and Patrick Reeves added six points.
“Tonight’s win is important because it’s hopefully the start to our winning streak to win the conference tournament,” Lewis said. “It’s a good win to get things rolling.”
Looking to get hot at the right time to try and make the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs, the No. 3 Raiders will host No. 6 Hoke County High School (3-5, 3-5 SAC) on Monday in the opening round of the SAC tournament.
Richmond has made it to the championship game in each of the last two seasons.
“It was a good win, everyone is feeling good and we’re going to come ready to play,” Pettigrew closed. “Our young guys have gotten some more minutes and that will help with our confidence in the conference tournament.”
