AHOSKIE – The Ridgecroft boys’ basketball team rode the hot hand of junior forward Chris Hill to a decisive win over Hobgood here Tuesday night.

Hill scored 28 points on the night, but his 21 first half points gave Ridgecroft an early lead and the Rams ran away with a 67-50 victory over the Raiders.

Ridgecroft got a basket from senior guard Drew Jones to start the game followed by a three from Hill and two quick baskets from center Bryan Britton to take a 9-2 lead. Hobgood attempted to stay close as Sammy Harrell scored five first quarter points and Adam Whitehead added four, but senior Ridgecroft guard Michael Edwards nailed a three pointer with a second left in the first period to push the lead to 19-9.

Hill opened the second quarter the way the first had ended, with a three, and the Raiders never threatened to make a game of it after the back-to-back long range jumpers.

Hill and Edwards carried the scoring load for the Rams in the second period, scoring all of the team’s 13 points in the quarter as the Rams took a 35-16 lead into halftime.

Jones hit three free throws to start the second half and Britton got back into the scoring action after some early foul trouble.

Britton hit a shot with 3:29 left in the third to extend the Rams’ lead to 46-20 and sank another basket a minute later to add to his total.

Hobgood’s Adam Parker ended the third period with a basket to cut the lead to 50-28, but the Raiders failed to threaten in the final period.

Ridgecroft substituted freely throughout the second half as Ridgecroft’s Matt Byrum, John Alexander, Jeremy Courtright and William Alexander all got into the scoring column.

Ridgecroft is 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in the conference, tied with Terra Ceia Christian School for first place in the in Tarheel Independent Conference. The two schools will meet on Thursday.

Ridgecroft (67)

Chris Hill – 28, Bryan Britton – 13, Michael Edwards -10, Drew Jones – 5, Matt Byrum – 4, J. Alexander – 2, J. Courtright – 2, W. Alexander – 2

Hobgood (50)

Adam Whitehead – 9, Sammy Harrell – 9, Michael Hale – 8, Josh Lanier –

6, Jordan Pendleton – 4, Macon Harrell – 4, Greg Warren – 4, Adam Parker – 2