ROCKINGHAM — Keeping its hot start to Mid-South Conference play going Tuesday, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ basketball team extended its winning streak to three games.
With all of those wins coming against MSC opponents, the Lady Raiders stayed atop of the conference standings with a 47-36 win over Hoke County High School.
A two-point deficit at halftime wasn’t too much for the Lady Raiders to overcome, as they used a 19-9 scoring run in the third quarter to take the lead for good.
Senior point guard Jasiah Gilchrist finished as the game’s leading scorer with 23 points. Adding seven points each were seniors Olivia Brown and J’Nasia Neal.
Also finding the basket in the win were juniors Armoni Walden (4 points), Kaniah Little (3 points), Iyana Little (2 points) and Madisen Jackson (1 point).
Richmond took control of the game in the first quarter, finishing the opening eight minutes with a 17-7 lead. Neal, who had all of her points in the first half, led the team with five points on a three-pointer and a field goal.
Gilchrist got her night going with two baskets for four points and Kaniah Little connected on a triple for her three points. A bucket from Iyana Little and one foul shot from Jackson gave the Lady Raiders a 10-point advantage.
Richmond entered a scoring lull in the second stanza as Hoke County (8-7, 0-3 MSC) outscored the Lady Raiders 15-3. The Lady Bucks connected on three three-pointers an three field goals before the break.
Combining for Richmond’s three points were Neal and Gilchrist with a field goal and a free throw, respectively, to make it a 22-20 deficit at half.
Flipping the script once more, the Lady Raiders used the 19-9 scoring surge in the third to take a 39-31 lead. Gilchrist went into scoring mode and netted 12 points in the quarter on two three-pointers and a trio of buckets from the field.
Walden joined the scoring with all four of her points in the game, finding the basket twice from the floor. Brown added her next three points on a free throw and a basket.
Efficient from the free throw line in the closing eight minutes, Richmond went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe and scored one field goal to ice the win.
Going 4-for-4 from the line was Gilchrist, as she capped her big night with the team’s lone field goal in the fourth. Brown was 2-for-2 from the stripe for the other two points.
Still undefeated in conference play, the Lady Raiders (9-6, 3-0 MSC) have another chance to keep it going Friday. Richmond will host Overhills High School (11-4, 3-0 MSC) at 6 p.m. in a battle of conference unbeatens.
Sports editor’s note: Game information and statistics provided by head coach Taneika Reader.
