Madison-Ridgeland Academy rallies past MHSAA powerhouse Raymond 50-48 at Rumble in the South

Sam Hailey scored a game-high 18 points to help the Patriots snap a two-game skid

The Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots hit the brakes on a two-game skid and put a huge pelt on the wall with a 50-48 win over perennial MHSAA powerhouse Raymond Saturday afternoon at AE Wood Coliseum in Clinton.

Reigning Mr. Basketball Eric Paymon, Jr. had 30 points for Raymond (20-4), but it wasn’t enough to lift the Rangers — widely considered one of, if not the best, teams in the state —over the Patriots.

MRA (25-2) opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run, highlighted by six points from senior guard Sam Hailey, to turn a 41-36 deficit into a 45-41 lead with 5:22 to go.

Paymon hit a big three-pointer to stop the bleeding with five minutes to go. The senior also hit a pair of free throws with 2:02 left to pull the Rangers back within striking distance at 49-46.

But it was all for naught. Hailey converted a pair of big free throws with 15 seconds left to put MRA ahead 50-46. And while Raymond got it back within two, the potential game-winning shot bounced off the back of the rim.

MRA defeats Raymond 50-48 after the Rangers’ potential game-winner bounces out. Great game! EJ Paymon with 30 points for the Raymond. pic.twitter.com/IouokIaQmy

— Tyler Cleveland (@TylerCleveland) January 20, 2024

The win was extra sweet for the Patriots after they dropped their first game of the season Wednesday night against Jackson Academy and their second Friday night at home against Hartfield Academy.

“We needed it,” said legendary MRA coach Richard Duease, now in his 49th season. “We played some of our worst basketball of the season earlier this week, and I think it motivated the guys to come out today and play like we know we are capable of playing, especially down the stretch there.”

Paymon did some nice work inside against MRA’s sensational eighth-grader Eric Dampier, Jr., the son of former Mississippi State and NBA star Eric Dampier, Sr. Junior finished with five points and five rebounds. MRA’s Dandy Dozen guard Ashton Magee also had a fairly quiet game, scoring five points on two buckets.

But Hailey picked up the slack, adding seven assists and a game-high seven rebounds.

“This was a good team win that should give us a lot of confidence going forward,” Hailey said. “It’s no fun to admit it, but we probably played our worst two games of the season earlier this week, so to come out and get a win like this against a championship-caliber opponent like Raymond is a big boost for us.”

MRA has six games left on the regular-season schedule. They jump right back into MAIS 6A action Tuesday night with a home game against Jackson Prep, and will host Presbyterian Christian Friday.

Raymond, last year’s MHSAA Class 4A runner-up, was playing its third game in as many days. The Rangers will try to rebound Monday night at McComb.

“We have a lot of respect for the MRA program and coach Duease,” Raymond coach Tony Tadlock said. “They have a great team, and you know he’s going to have them ready to play. We played well today, we just made too many mistakes there to start the fourth quarter. We still had a chance to win it there at the end, but we fell just short.”

Madison-Ridgeland Academy vs. Raymond boys basketball (1/20/24)