FAYETTEVILLE — The Richmond Senior girls basketball team won its second straight game, downing Village Christian Academy 55-37 on Monday as part of the inaugural Martin Luther King Dream Jam hosted by Terry Sanford High.
Richmond (12-5) had three starters finish in double figures, led by Keionna Love who filled the stat sheet with 16 points, three assists and two steals.
Her all-around game was on full display in the early going, scoring seven of the team’s 13 points in the opening period including a pair of 3-pointers. Love finished the frame with an assist to Davionna Campbell to give the Lady Raiders a 13-5 advantage heading into the second.
Meanwhile, forward Jakerra Covington posted her second double-double in as many games, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. But it was her three steals that caught the attention of Lady Raiders head coach Teddy Moseley.
“Jakerra’s game starts on the defensive end,” said Moseley. “When she starts playing good defense and getting steals, that gives her more confidence on the offensive side of the ball.”
In the third quarter, with the Lady Raiders’ double-digit halftime lead dwindling, Covington got in the passing lanes and converted transition layups on multiple occasions to open the margin.
Her first steal-and-layup combo came with just over five minutes and gave the team a 30-20 advantage. A few minutes later, she stole the ball again and sprinted to the other end for a layup that pushed the margin to 37-24 with just 1:12 to go in the third.
Starting guard Jayla McDougald continued her hot offensive play of late, posting 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
“Jayla hit some big 3’s down the stretch. She was big today,” said Moseley.
McDougald had a pair of triples, one of which gave the group a 26-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
Village Christian (7-8) guard Truth King finished with a team-high 15 points and sparked a 10-0 run to close the gap before the half.
King had an and-1 that made it 26-13 with just under three minutes remaining in the half, then moments later, knocked down two free throws to get the group within 11 points.
The Lady Knights could only get to as close as 13 points in the second half as Love put in six fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.
“She’s our closer. She closed it out for us tonight,” Moseley said Love.
Love had back-to-back layups in the final moments of the contest, the last of which gave the group its biggest lead of the second half, 55-35, with 1:13 to go.
Lady Raiders guard Bree Wall contributed with tenacious defense, finishing with a team-high four steals and eight rebounds.
Richmond returns to the road Friday in a conference rematch with Purnell Swett.
Raiders edge Red Springs in MLK Classic
RED SPRINGS — Just minutes into the final quarter of Monday’s Martin Luther King Classic hosted by Red Springs High, Richmond Senior guard P.J. McLaughlin picked up his fourth foul and made his way to the bench with just two points.
With the Raiders down six points midway through the period, McLaughlin re-entered the contest and made his presence felt, finishing with 15 points to pace the 57-51 win over the hosting Red Devils.
“My team needed me and I had to come up big. So, when I hit that first 3 (pointer) it was on from there,” said McLaughlin.
The triple McLaughlin referenced came at the 2-minute mark and it cut the Red Devils’ lead in half, 49-46. He rattled off six of the Raiders’ next eight points, including a pair of free throws that put them on top for good, 53-51, with just a few ticks left.
“That’s what’s he’s been doing all year. Consistent,” Richmond coach Donald Pettigrew said of McLaughlin. “He does a heck of a job running the team, pushing the ball and playing defense. He does it all.”
Down a starting guard with Quamir Sivels out because of an ankle issue, Dylan Lewis and Caleb Hood filled some of the offensive void left by the senior scorer.
Hood finished with 14 points and seven rebounds and Lewis had 13 points including a game-high four 3-pointers.
Hood had four early points to help the group jump out to an 8-6 lead, then was just as effective in the second, converting on back-to-back baskets, the last of which broke a tie and made it 18-16 with just over five minutes until the half.
Red Springs guard Jordan Ferguson led all scorers with 16 points, dropping seven in both the second and third quarters to help the home team rally.
Ferguson put down a shot from deep that cut the Raiders’ lead to just one point, 24-23, just before the half. The Red Devils would take a 27-25 advantage into the break.
Ferguson had all but two of the team’s points in the third period as they trailed 37-36 heading into the fourth.
Red Devils forward Corell Love added 14 points, none bigger than the layup that tied it at 41 with 5:28 to go in the fourth. The bucket was part of a 10-0 Red Devils run that saw them take a 47-41 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
The last few minutes were dominated by McLaughlin’s heroics, however, as the lead guard spoiled the home fans’ desires to win the first-year event.
“It was a good environment. They treated us well and I’d really like to return to the game next year,” said McLaughlin.
Nygie Stroman had seven points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks while Jarvis Tillman chipped in with a team-high nine rebounds and two blocks in the win.
Richmond (12-5) is off until Friday when it travels to conference opponent Purnell Swett.
Red Springs (7-9) travels to West Bladen on Tuesday.
