Corey Davis

Richmond County Daily Journal

The Richmond Lady Raiders basketball team has been a surprise for many for the way it has performed in the first 11 games of the season.

Following Tuesday’s 76-75 come-from-behind Mid-Southeastern Conference victory over Seventy-First on the road, Richmond improved to 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Lady Raiders are second in the MSEC behind reigning 4-AA state champion Westover (11-2, 5-0).

With its four conference wins, the Lady Raiders have already matched its conference victories from last season.

The players credit first-year coach David Laton for changing the program’s losing atmosphere.

“Coach Laton has us believing in ourselves more, and we have less stress when we’re on the court,” senior Shaniqua Flowers said. “We don’t have anybody yelling or taking us out when you make a mistake. He lets you play through them.”

Despite having 33 years experience as either a head or assistant coach, this is the first time the Hamlet-native has coached a women’s team.

“I just try to use common sense,” Laton said. “I don’t try to confuse our players, and I don’t like it when kids are playing scared. But the goal of any team is to be in better condition than your opponent, which applies to girls or boys.”

Being the better conditioned team was the point Laton wanted the Lady Raiders to understand in Tuesday’s game. Richmond trailed the Lady Falcons at halftime 48-31.

“I told them they (Seventy-First) aren’t as good of a conditioned team as we are,” Laton said. “We had already won one battle because they stopped pressing us due to the fact they were getting tired and we were beating their press. I didn’t think they had much left in the tank and they weren’t used to scoring 48 points in one half.”

The Lady Raiders erased the 17-point deficit by outscoring Seventy-First, 45-27, in the second half.

Laton said Richmond did a better job rebounding and tightening its defense. The Lady Raiders finished with 24 steals and had five players score in double figures.

The players admitted that last season’s team couldn’t have overcome such a sizable deficit. Also, the Lady Raiders have rebounded to win its next game following a loss.

“The drills we run in

practice has helped us in

the games, and Coach gives us more offensive freedom than we had before,” junior LaShey Brown said.

“Our team has more drive and determination to really want to win games. Our

confidence is growing since we are winning.”

Laton added that this is one of the less vocal teams he

has coached. He said

he doesn’t mind the team’s temperament as long as they keep making noise in

the MSEC and make it

to postseason play for

the first time since 2004.

“We’ve got good leaders, and I’m glad, I don’t have a team with a bunch of chatter boxes acting foolish all the time,” Laton said. “Our team is focusing on hopefully making the state playoffs, and that has been our goal from the start. We just got to keep doing what has allowed us to be successful so far.”

Contact sports reporter Corey Davis at 997-3111, ext. 44; e-mail cdavis@yourdailyjournal.com