ROCKINGHAM — From the opening tip of Tuesday’s first game of the year, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team controlled the tempo against Anson High School.
Behind a powerful performance from three players who all reached double-digits in the scoring column, which saw junior forward Nygie Stroman net a game-high 18 points, the Raiders breezed their way past the Bearcats for a 73-29 win in front of a full crowd.
The 44-point win marked the first time in head coach Donald Pettigrew’s three seasons the Raiders have begun the year with a win, and was the first time since 2016 when Richmond also defeated Anson. It was also Pettigrew’s largest margin of victory during his tenure.
Other Raiders to hit double-digits in their season debut were juniors PJ McLaughlin (13 points) and Dylan Lewis (11 points). Sophomores Jalen David and Deshon Watson, both of whom were making their first varsity appearance, each chipped in nine points.
Anson would jump out to a 6-0 lead in the game’s opening minutes thanks to triples from Lance Shuler and Garrett Maner, but the two-possession lead wouldn’t last long. A Lewis free throw at the 4:59 mark started a 21-4 run by the Raiders to close the opening quarter.
“It was a slow start and the guys were nervous and excited because they’ve been waiting so long for tonight,” Pettigrew said. “The game really slowed down for us once we started getting into the right spots on defense.
“I told them to do what they were supposed to do and play with confidence,” he added of the first-quarter turnaround. “They started believing in themselves and they kept shooting the ball.”
Lewis and David would both net six of their points in the first quarter to lead the team, and David’s were a pair of three-pointers from the left corner in the final 35 seconds. At the end of the first, Richmond led 21-10.
Twenty more points in the second quarter would open up the game for the Raiders. Stroman scored his four points of the period on a putback under the glass before slamming home a two-handed jam over a pair of defenders.
Senior guard Quamir Sivels, who finished with seven points, joined the mix with five points in the quarter. Fellow senior Jarvis Tillman stepped back and hit a baseline jumper in the closing seconds for two of his seven points, and gave the Raiders a 41-21 lead going into the break.
The 3-2 zone defense, which Pettigrew said progressed from the opening tip to the final buzzer, shut down the Bearcats in the final two quarters. Anson only managed to net eight total points in 16 minutes, four in the third and four more in the fourth.
Richmond would have another 20-point quarter, its third of the game, in the third. McLaughlin led the way with seven points, making a couple of floaters in transition. Stroman powered his way down low for six more points, and Watson hit the second of his three triples in the game to send Richmond into the final period leading 61-25.
Stroman closed the door with four more points in the fourth, and was aided by three-pointers from Watson and David. Lewis tacked on a field goal to end his scoring.
“PJ has proven to be one of the best guards in any game we’ve played over the summer and pre-season,” Pettigrew said. “He’s worked hard on his physique and his game to get better. Jalen and Deshon can play, they can shoot the ball and we expect the same from them as the older guys.
“Nygie is going to produce no matter who we play, and I didn’t even realize he scored as many points as he did,” he closed. “We appreciate the big home crowd to start the season.”
Shuler would lead the Bearcats with nine points, and teammates Maner, Sam Ingram and Shammond Ingram all had four points.
The Raiders (1-0) will look to complete the regular season sweep of the Bearcats (0-1) when they travel to Wadesboro on Thursday. Tipoff is set for around 8 p.m.
