Sports
Leah Richardson Hits 1,000 Point Mark Against River Valley
< < Back to leah-richardson-hits-1000-point-mark-against-river-valleyJust six games into her junior year, Leah Richardson eclipsed 1,000 career points in Alexander’s (6-0, 3-0) 48-33 win over River Valley (5-1, 2-1).
Coming into Thursday’s game, Richardson needed 23 points to reach 1,000, and she looked well on her way early on. She poured in 16 of Alexander’s 29 first half points, and had the Lady Spartans in a comfortable 29-12 lead at the break.
Richardson continued her scoring onslaught to start the third quarter, opening up the half with a layup through contact, and added the ensuing free throw to bring her within four points of the milestone. After that, she went cold. The floor general missed her next nine attempts from the field.
“I pulled her over and I was like, ‘You know you’re two baskets from 1,000 points right? Let’s just get this thing done,’” Alexander coach Cory McKnight said.
Richardson went out and drained one of her signature mid-range pull-ups, then drove to the basket and drew a foul on the next possession. She calmly sank the free throws as a roar erupted from the Alexander crowd. McKnight called a timeout, giving the PA announcer the opportunity to recognize Richardson and present her with the game ball.
While the spotlight was definitely on Richardson most of the night, fellow junior Jala Mace had another solid all-around performance. In the second half alone, Mace contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. She was crashing the glass hard on the offensive end, and even if she wasn’t the one grabbing the board, she was opening up the lane or tipping the ball out to her teammates.
River Valley will look to start another winning streak Monday when they travel to Athens. The Lady Spartans have a week off before the Nelsonville-York Lady Buckeyes come to Albany for a battle between two of the top contenders in the TVC-Ohio.