ELIZABETHTOWN – St. Pauls opened up leads of 25-11, 51-23 and 75-38 en route to an 84-47 non-conference boys basketball victory over East Bladen Tuesday night.
The Eagles are shorthanded due to the absence of 6 players who are still playing on the Eagle football team in the Class 2A state play-offs. Guard Denzel Johnson is the only current Eagle with varsity basketball experience before this year.
The Bulldogs built a 9-0 lead before Demetrius Wooten sank 2 free throws to put East Bladen on the board with 4:24 left in the first period.
Wooten connected on 5 of 6 free throws in the quarter, and Johnson turned a steal into a lay-up then banked in a runner to keep East Bladen within 25-11 at the quarter break.
Johnson threw in 5 points in the second period, and Demarius McArthur turned a steal into a lay-up and added a free throw. Wooten and Sadrique Ingram netted 2 free throws each but the Bulldogs had opened up a 51-23 lead.
Johnson canned a corner 3-point shot and drove for a lay-up early in the third quarter. Wooten banked in a runner and tacked on a lay-up, and McArthur drained 4 foul shots in the third quarter to keep the Eagles withing 75-38.
Wooten made 13 of 14 free throws in the game and led the East Bladen scoring with 19 points. Johnson racked up 15 points, and McArthur finished with 7 points.
Romeo Jordan poured in 23 points to lead the St. Pauls scoring. Aaron Revels buried a trio of 3-point shots and finished with 15 points. Teammate Cole Humphrey added 15 points, and Tedrick McNeill totaled 13 points.
The Eagles will host East Columbus Tuesday night.
East Bladen (47) – Demarius McArthur 7, Demetrius Wooten 19, Sadrique Ingram 2, Malique Hogan 3, Denzel Johnson 15, Deondre Harris 2, Joshua McKoy, Tyree Rhone.
About Author
