By Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent

Richmond Hill knew they had a tall task ahead when they traveled to Buford, the top seeded team in section eight, to begin the GHSA playoffs Wednesday night.

Trailing the entire game, the Wildcats couldn’t find their rhythm as they dropped a 59-42 decision in the Class 6A matchup. With the defeat, Richmond Hill ended its season with an overall 14-15 mark.

Buford (19-9) had a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, and the Wolves built a 23-10 cushion in the second quarter. Richmond Hill cut the deficit to 27-17 at halftime. 

Wildcats’ head coach Bill Henderson watched his team struggle to find its identity through the first two quarters. It was the start of a frustrating evening.

“We fell behind early and had to play catch up the rest of the night,” noted Henderson.  “We didn’t execute well offensively and had some live-ball turnovers that allowed them to get out in transition. They’ve got three really quick guards and they’re tough when they can play downhill.”

Richmond Hill closed to within 27-20 on Marki Boone’s free throw midway through the third quarter, but Buford responded with an 8-0 run and took their biggest lead at 35-20. They ended the quarter with a 41-26 advantage. 

Richmond Hill couldn’t implement their usual game in the paint, and Buford center Dream Rashad was dominant inside with his game-high 23 points. The Wildcats were able to limit leading scorer Carmelo Williams to 13 points and Dillon Nixon had 9, as they both averaged better than 20 points per game coming into the contest.

Drew Nudo paced the Wildcats with 16 points and Boone added 12. 

"We couldn’t capitalize on the moments," said Nudo. "Missed easy layups and we faded away from our game plan." He added, "being apart of this program has made me a better basketball player and a better person and I gave the program everything I got."

“We had a tough time with Rashad, added Henderson. “We didn’t get the ball inside consistently enough, especially early. When we did, we were able to generate some better looks but didn’t capitalize on those looks at a high enough rate. In the third quarter we made a run and cut it to seven, but we just couldn’t string together enough stops defensively to fully swing the momentum.”

Josh Mock, one of six seniors, and his teammates soon discovered they would be in an uphill battle all night. Drew Nudo, Brandon French, Lentz Vignier, Sebastian Dorelien, and Will Mutale are the other seniors. Mock finished with five points against Buford.

“This game was tough because we couldn’t seem to get an advantage in the game,” stressed Mock, the team’s leading scorer who averaged 14 points per game. “They were very quick and efficient in transition which is what hurt us. Their big man also hurt us down low.  

“They were very scrappy and disruptive on defense, which didn’t really allow for us to get something going on offense, and we couldn’t really find a rhythm of getting into sets tonight. They’re a tough team, but I think we played hard regardless. I’m proud of this team.”

Despite the loss, Mock was happy to leave his mark on the program. 

“I think I did what Richmond Hill needed me to do, which was be a leader, help rebuild the culture, and find ways to win in all aspects of the court,” evaluated Mock. “I’m very grateful for how the coaches have shaped this experience for me and I’m grateful for my teammates as they made it enjoyable all the way from freshman year to now. 

“It was amazing being able to play in the new school and the new arena and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to play for Richmond Hill as I have a lot of pride for my city.”

Henderson was proud of his seniors and the overall team for helping to bring the Wildcats back to the state playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season when they advanced to the Elite Eight round.

I’m incredibly proud of the fight in this group,” beamed Henderson. “They’ve been resilient all year and they showed that again tonight. Our seniors, in particular, have done a tremendous job shifting the culture of Richmond Hill basketball. 

“The foundation they’ve laid — through their work ethic, toughness, and commitment to our standards — is going to impact this program for a long time. I’m beyond proud of the way they represented our program.”