ROUND 4 PREVIEW: No. 5 Lady Raiders hoping to upset No. 1 Hoggard

ROCKINGHAM — The toughest test of the postseason awaits the No. 5 Lady Raider basketball team Friday.

Keeping their magical run alive in the 4A East playoffs, Richmond will play No. 1 Hoggard High School in the Elite 8.

In what will be the team’s first road playoff game this winter, head coach Teddy Moseley and the Lady Raiders are embracing the challenge of competing against the highest seeded team.

Through its first three playoff wins, Richmond (25-4) has dismantled each of its opponents, winning by an average of 23.7 points. The Lady Raiders have defeated No. 28 Cleveland, No. 21 Leesville Road and No. 20 Southeast Raleigh.

While the lower seeds presented their own minor difficulties throughout the first three rounds, there wasn’t anything the Lady Raiders couldn’t overcome with a timeout or a timely basket.

Now the No. 1 Lady Vikings (29-1) are the next opponent Richmond hopes to send home for the season. A win would send the team to the 4A East regional championship for the first time since 1988-89.

The Lady Raiders will begin their fourth round game at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hoggard in Wilmington. 

Below are some fast facts about the Hoggard Lady Vikings:

• Led by former professional basketball player Boubacar Aw, the Lady Vikings are on a 19-game winning streak, one more than Richmond’s current streak.

• Hoggard entered the playoffs with the highest final ratings performance index in the 4A East (0.6663). Richmond was fifth (0.6478).

•  On their home court, the Lady Vikings have won 17 games this season. Their only loss came at home against Northern Guilford High School.

• To get to the fourth round, Hoggard has defeated No. 32 Apex, No. 16 Wakefield and No. 8 South View, averaging each win by 18.0 points.

• During the regular season, the Lady Vikings won the 3A/4A Mideastern Conference championship with a 14-0 record. 

• Hoggard finished the RPI rankings with a 0.528 opponent winning percentage and a 0.5541 opponents’ opponent winning percentage. Richmond had a 0.6023 OWP and a 0.5102 OOWP.

• This season, the Lady Vikings have averaged 54.3 points per game, compared to Richmond’s 60.8 points per game. In the postseason, Hoggard is averaging 50.6 PPG and Richmond is averaging 72.3 PPG.

• Sophomore Tristan Shivers (14.3 PPG) and senior Sarah Elgart (10.4 PPG) lead the team in scoring. Elgart also has a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game.

• Both teams are able to force turnovers. Hoggard is averaging 13.0 steals per game, with Richmond right behind at 12.3 steals per game.

• From the field, Hoggard is shooting 44% as a team and 31% from beyond the arc. Richmond is shooting 44% and 25%, respectively.

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