West Bladen’s Knights battled Goldsboro on even terms for most of the first half, but a 32-point, third period explosion gave the Cougars a 19-point lead en route to a 88-69 victory in the opening round of the NCHSAA Class 2A basketball play-offs.
Goldsboro’s Kisheem Faison and Myron Carmon bombed in two 3-point shots each and scored 12-points each in the third quarter. Nakia Atkins added 6 as the Cougars outscored the Knights 32-20 to push their lead to 71-52 at the quarter break.
West Bladen junior Sayaun Dent fired in 4 baskets and 2 free throws for the Knights in the period. Seniors Stefan McDonald and Will Lambeth, freshman Keshawn Lewis, sophmores Shaquille Johnson and Jonathan Robinson scored one basket each for West in the quarter.
Lambeth drained a 3-point shot and 3 free throws in the fourth quarter for West. Dent sank a trio of free throws and a basket in the final period, and McDonald hit 2 free throws and a field goal. Lewis threw in another basket in the quarter.
The Cougars held on at the foulline making 11 of 15 free throws in the final period. For the game Goldsboro made 25 of 34 free throws in the game and held a 17-point advantage at the line as West Bladen connected on just 8 of their 19 foul shots.
Faison led the Goldsboro scoring with 25 points, and Carmon followed with 22 points. Atkins finished with 17 points, and Ronnie Tookes added 13 points.
Dent topped the West Bladen scoring with 19 points, and McDonald pumped in 16 points in his last game as a Knight. Lambeth was right behind McDonald with 15 points in his final game for West.
Faison and Atkins both connected on 3-point shots and scored 2 other baskets each in the first quarter as the Cougars and Knights battled to a 20-20 tie.
McDonald delivered a 3-point shot and 2 other baskets for the Knights in the first quarter. Sophmore Jimmy Williams tossed in a pair of baskets, and junior John Bowen buried a 3-point shot for West. Lambeth, Dent and senior Malique McDowell tallied one basket each in the period for the Knights.
Lambeth and McDonald nailed 3-point shots for West in the second quarter, and Dent and Lewis popped in Knight 2-point baskets.
Faison, Atkins and Tyzhaun Claude dropped in 2 baskets each for Goldsboro in the quarter, and Carmon pumped in a 3-point shot as the Cougars rode a 19-12 surge to a 39-32 halftime lead.
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights finished their season with a 20-8 record. Goldsboro improved to 23-2 and advances to a Thursday night game against league foe Kinston, a 58-41 victor over Warren County.
West Bladen (69) – Jimmy Williams 4, Keshawn Lewis 6, Stefan McDonald 15,Sayaun Dent 19, Malique McDowell 2, Shaquille Johnson 2, Jonathan Robinson 2, Will Lambeth 13, John Bowen 3.
Goldsboro (88) – Kisheem Faison 25, Myron Carmon 22, Jalin Thomas 1, Nakia Atkins 17,Tyzhaun Claude 4, Eric Bufkin 2, Ronnie Tookes 13, Jyrek Robinson, Isaiah Wilder 2, Jamal Cox, Isaiah Cogdell 2.
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