HAMLET- Sometimes a basketball game comes down to one moment that tells the difference between a win and a loss.

Richmond had one of those moments and it cost them the game.

The Raiders Josh Calhoun was attempting to save some time by letting the ball roll to half court with 14 seconds to play in the game.

However, once he decided to pick it up, the ball slipped through his hands. Ryan Leak would dive on the loose ball, pass it off to Tony Deberry for the lay-up and keep Scotland’s perfect season in tact with a 31-27 squeaker over Richmond Thursday night.

The Scots host South View Monday at 4:30 pm.

“I think we needed a game like this coming out of Christmas break,” Scotland coach Jackie Amos said. “They (Richmond) have stepped up their game since we last played them. We didn’t really step our game up tonight, but we somehow managed to get the win.”

Scotland (8-0) jumped out with an early 8-2 run before a three from Richmond’s Cody Wilson made it 8-5 at the end of the first quarter.

A field goal by Artemis Robinson punctuated a 6-1 Scots run and gave them an eight-point lead (14-6) with 3:00 to play in the half.

Scotland led 16-8 at halftime.

After the Scots went up by ten (18-8) with 3:52 to play in the third, the Raiders went on a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to 18-13.

A 6-0 run by Scotland opened up an 11-point lead (24-13) early in the fourth.

A three-point play by Calhoun, sandwiched in between a three-pointer and a lay-up from Donyell Miller, cut the lead down to only three (24-21) with 4:29 left, forcing Scotland to call a time-out.

Out of the breather, a Forrest Johnson basket capped off a near one-minute possession and gave them a five-point lead.

After a Lamont Lawson lay-up, Richmond (3-5) cut the lead to 29-27 with under 20 seconds to play on a 6-1 run, setting up the final play of the game.

Lawson was the lone player on either team in double figures with 10 points. Deberry added six.

Calhoun led the Raiders with seven points while Miller chipped in five.