SANFORD — Remaining a game out of first place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team stayed within striking distance Monday.
Starting a busy week which features three SAC games, the Lady Raiders remained in the win column with a running clock road victory.
Despite a slow start on both ends of the floor, apparent rust from a 10-day break between games, Richmond built momentum and defeated Lee County High School 64-22.
For the second time this season, senior point guard Jamyia Lindsey finished the game with more points than the entire other team. She had a game-high 34 points, including 19 points in the first half.
Five other Lady Raiders found the basket — junior Jasiah Gilchrist (9), sophomore Madisen Jackson (8), senior Quanna Bostic (5), junior Olivia Brown (3) and sophomore Kaniah Little (3).
Both teams failed to find a rhythm in the first quarter, as turnovers and fouls dominated the game more than the scoring did. Richmond managed to take an 8-5 lead after the opening period.
Lindsey, who had all but two of Richmond’s 21 first-half points, put the Lady Raiders up 4-2 early with a shot in the paint and a transition bucket following a steal by Little. The second basket ended a 5:13 scoring drought for Richmond.
Little sank a free throw with 43 seconds to go in the quarter. Lindsey drained the first of her three three-pointers in the first half on the final shot before the buzzer.
A 13-7 run by Richmond in the second quarter featured another dozen points by Lindsey. That helped the Lady Raiders take a 21-12 lead into halftime.
Lindsey scored the first seven points of the second for either team, starting with a three-ball from the left wing. She added a steal and a mid-range jumper, as well as a putback off the glass on a rebound.
Leading 15-7, Lindsey was good from beyond the arc again, this one in the right corner. Lindsey’s final bucket of the half, a drive through traffic, made it 20-9. Bostic hit the front end of two free throws with 16.2 seconds left.
Breaking the game open with a 33-point third quarter, Richmond started the running clock with 58 seconds to go in the quarter.
Richmond began the third on a 24-0 run, bolstering its lead to 45-12. Lindsey had 10 points during that run and finished the quarter with 12 points. She scored three baskets in the paint, a free throw and another three-pointer.
Adding to the run was Jackson, who scored her first four of six points in the quarter on two shots from the line and a smooth bucket on an inbound pass. Gilchrist got on the board as well, netting six points on two old-fashioned three-point plays.
A field goal each from Bostic and Little gave Richmond a 33-point lead.
Before the buzzer sounded, Jackson hit another bucket in the paint and Brown sank a three-ball from the right corner. Two free throws from Lindsey put the Lady Raiders up 54-16 heading into the fourth.
The quickened pace of the final stanza yielded Richmond’s final 10 points. Lindsey connected on her fifth and final three-pointer.
Gilchrist had three points on a free throw and a bucket. Bostic and Jackson each found the cylinder one time for two points.
Lee County (7-8, 2-4 SAC) was led in scoring by Angel Smith, who had six points.
The Lady Raiders (11-5, 5-1 SAC) host Pinecrest High School (9-9, 4-2 SAC) Tuesday for another conference game, the second of three this week. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
