The Scotland High varsity basketball teams are set to close out the regular season with a rivalry game at Richmond on Friday night.
Scotland’s boys will be back in action for the first time since they defeated Lumberton 69-67 in double-overtime on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Richmond will be looking to bounce back from a lopsided 75-46 loss to Lumberton on Wednesday.
In the girls game, the Lady Scots will try to end their three-game skid against the Raiders, who are projected to be one of the first five 4A teams to miss the state playoffs field.
Battling for position
Richmond’s boys basketball team (16-7, 9-4 SAC) sits in third place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, one game ahead of fourth-place Scotland (12-10, 8-5 SAC). Lumberton (19-4, 10-3 SAC) is in second place, and Pinecrest (20-3, 11-2 SAC) is in position to win the regular-season conference title.
Pinecrest and Lumberton are favored to win their Friday night games against Hoke and Purnell Swett, respectively. If Pinecrest, Lumberton and Scotland win on Friday night, the Scots and Raiders would finish the season in a tie for third place.
The top two finishers in the SAC standings will receive automatic playoff bids. The winner of the conference tournament will receive a bid as well.
Points of emphasis
Scotland boys basketball coach Matt Justin said the Scots are focusing on two main points as they prepare for Richmond.
“We need to try our best to control the boards or be even on the boards with Richmond,” Justin said. “And then take care of the ball. Those are our two primary focuses. I think we’ll be in good shape going into the fourth quarter if we’re able to battle with them on the boards and take good care of the basketball.”
The Raiders rely heavily on their perimeter shooting. They showcased their long-range abilities in a 57-54 loss to the Scots earlier this season.
“They made a bunch of threes in that game,” Justin said. “We played a zone most of the game, so they were probably attempting more threes than they would if we played man-to-man.
“They have a good ballhandler up top. P.J. McLaughlin is pretty good with the ball,” he added. “Nygie Stroman and Jarvis Tillman are pretty good inside. They have a few wings who could get hot at any time. As long as we’re able to rebound with them and compete for loose balls and take care of the ball, we’re going to be right there with them.”
Heating up
Asjah Swindell, the Lady Scots’ leading scorer, has scored at least 14 points in each of Scotland’s past six games. She recorded three double-doubles in that span. The Lady Scots’ first matchup with Richmond, a 51-43 win for the Lady Raiders, was one of Swindell’s most productive outings of the season. She finished that game with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
When and where
Both games will be played at Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham. The varsity girls will play at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity boys at approximately 7:30.
