Pinecrest guards Jahrelle Person and Josh Scales must have thought there was a lid on the basket the last two weeks.

Both got well during Friday night's 88-72 home basketball victory over Richmond Senior.

With just one field goal in the last three games, Person made a pair of threes and then assisted on two baskets by Evan Cole as the Patriots jumped out to a 10-2 lead. A double figures scorer throughout his three-year varsity career, Scales almost matched his point total for the last five games (27) when he erupted for 23 against the Raiders.

The Patriots led by as many as 25 points on the way to improving to 16-4 overall and 7-3 in the Mid-Southeastern Conference. The Raiders, who were without Lovell Joy, their leading scorer and rebounder because of an injured knee, fell to 7-13 and 2-8.

Scales was 7-for-41 from the field during his 5-game drought. He was asked what made the difference against the Raiders.

"I found out what I was doing wrong yesterday in practice," he said. "I wasn't jumping right. Coach (Mike) Apple told me at the beginning of the year I was being stubborn and not listening, but it was partly confidence too."

Person ran into early foul trouble in the closely called game and did not score again. But, Scales and Tony Allbrooks took up the slack in a rousing second period. Julian Brewer and James Baldwin both turned steals into dunks, and Scales drained three treys.

Late in the quarter Allbrooks made a three, and then stole the inbound pass and scored again to put the Patriots in front 47-26. By halftime Scales had 13 points, Allbrooks had 11 and the lead was 50-28.

"You would like to build on the 22-point lead at the half," Apple said. "Sometimes it's hard to do that."

Brewer scored the first three points of the third period, extending the Patriot lead to 25 points. But three treys by Harold Sellers, and two by Brian Love, helped the Raiders shave the margin to 11 by the end of the quarter.

Scoreless in the third period, Scales smoothed the way home for the Patriots in the fourth. He attacked the basket to score eight of his team's first 10 points, nipping the Raider rally in the process.

"Josh plays incredibly hard and he practices incredibly hard," Apple said. "I was glad to see those shots falling for him and hope it builds his confidence up so he's ready for the next game.

"The biggest thing in the fourth quarter was we got back to doing some of the things we did well early."

Allbrooks finished with 11 points and Brewer had 10 as the Patriots bounced back from Tuesday's disappointing loss at Scotland County. Jarrin Wooten added seven points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Sellers and Love led the Raiders with 15 each.

Also Friday night, Jack Britt knocked off undefeated Seventy-First 51-48, creating a first place tie with both teams at 9-1. Next for Pinecrest is a date with Hoke County in Raeford.

"They're all big games," Apple said. "Hoke County on Tuesday is a great big game. I love playing in the Hoke gym because of the coziness of it all, but it's going to be tough."

Richmond 13 15 27 17 72

Pinecrest 22 28 16 22 88

Richmond Love 4 4-4 15, Wiley 4 2-5 11, Reid 2 4-5 8, Sellers 4 4-5 15, Riddick 0 0-0 0, Diggs 1 2-2 5, McDonald 2 3-4 7, Quick 1 0-0 3, Snead 1 0-0 2, Bright 1 2-4 4, Freeman 1 0-2 2. Totals 21 21-31 72. Pinecrest Scales 7 6-7 23, Person 2 0-0 6, Cole 2 0-0 4, Brewer 4 2-4 10, Wooten 2 3-6 7, McCullough 0 2-2 2, Threadgill 2 1-2 6, Allbrooks 4 2-4 11, Towns 3 1-2 7, Kropp 0 3-3 3, Baldwin 4 1-2 9. Totals 30 21-32 88. Three-point goals: Richmond 9 (Love 3, Sellers 3, Wiley, Diggs, Quick; Pinecrest 7 (Scales 3, Person 2, Allbrooks, Threadgill).