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FARMVILLE – Senior Hezekiah Adams drove for the winning lay-up in the final seconds as No.4 seed West Bladen handed top-seeded Farmville Central their 1st home loss in 7 years and advanced to the NCHSAA Class 2A Eastern Championship Game with a 68-66 victory Friday night.

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights ran their winning streak to 20 in a row and improved to 27-1. West Bladen will face No. 3 seed Pittsboro Northwood (29-2) Thursday in the Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Northwood defeated No. 2 seed Southwest Onslow 59-44 Friday night.

Farmville star ‘MJ’ Williams tied the game 66-66 with a long 3-point shot with 17 seconds on the clock, before Adams drove past 2 defenders to score the game-winner. ‘MJ’ Williams heaved a long 3-pointer that bumped off the front of the rim as time expired.

“We were in a bit of a scramble on the last possession,” noted Coach Pait. ”But Hezi darted to the rim and made the lay-up. It was rough out there against their press, but we talked about just needing to be calm and make some shots.”

West Bladen rode a 22-9 3rd quarter surge to a 56-42 lead. However the Jaguars dialed up the defensive pressure and answered with a 13-0 run to close the gap to 56-55 on Cameron Honey’s baseline shot at the 5:25 mark.

“I think we just got caught up in the moment, but it was a very physical game,” said Coach Pait. “We moved Chase into the backcourt to give us a bigger target back there against their press and it helped.”

Junior guard Jackson Pait drilled in a 3-pointer from the right wing with 5:00 left to pad the Knight lead to 59-55. However Honey who scored 7 of his 9 points in the final period answered with a follow, and Steven Johnson’s basket tied the game 59-59.

Knight senior Chase Williams dropped in a lay-up off of a lob pass from junior Tylik McCall then later added a free throw for a 64-61 West lead with 1:39 remaining. Sophomore Kendell Lesane drove for a lay-in and a 66-61 lead at the 1:02 mark.

Farmville’s Williams turned a steal into a lay-up before connecting on the 3-ball that tied the game and set up Adams’ heroics.

Chase Williams posted his 18th double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Knight offense. The 6-8 Citadel signee connected on 7 of 8 shots from the field, blocked 4 shots and had 1 steal and 1 assist.

Pait fired in all 6 of his shots from the field including 5 3-point bombs and finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. Lesane connected on 4 of his 7 field goal attempts and cashed in all 3 of his foul shots for 11 points. He also grabbed 2 rebounds.

Adams drained a pair of early 3-balls and tallied 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting to go with 3 steals, 2 deflections, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.

McCall rang up 8 points on 2 of 3 shooting from behind the 3-point arc and 2 for 2 at the foulline. He racked up 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 deflection. Junior Keonta Hill contributed 2 points, 2 deflections and 1 assist.

Three-balls by ‘MJ’ Williams and Amarion Williams staked Farmville to an early 6-0 lead. Lesane tossed in a pair of free throws, and Chase Williams banged in a lay-up, before Adams buried a 3-ball for a 7-6 West lead.

JaQuez Dixon’s 15-footer put the Jaguars back on top, but a pair of Chase Williams’ lay-ups ignited a 12-1 Knight run. Adams burnt the nets with another 3-ball,before Pait banked in a runner thru traffic then swished a long 3-pointer from the left wing. A Honey basket trimmed the margin to 19-11 at the break.

Lesane popped in a baseline jumper, and Adams was awarded a basket on a Farmville goal-tending violation to keep West up 23-13. The Jaguars closed to within 23-17, but McCall nailed a corner 3-ball, and Chase Williams turned a rebound basket into a 3-point play and a 29-17 lead.

Three-balls by Johnson and ‘MJ’ Williams rallied Farmville to within 29-25, but Pait blistered the nets with another 3-ball, and McCall sank 2 free throws for a 34-29 Knight lead. A 3-ball and a follow shot by ‘MJ’ Williams whittled the halftime lead to 34-33.

Pait opened the 2nd half with a 3-ball from the right wing then delivered an assist to Chase Williams who flipped in a hook shot. Chase Williams turned a McCall assist into another lay-up, and Lesane pulled up for a 10-footer then tacked on a free throw for a 44-36 Knight lead.

Lesane threw in an acrobatic fadeaway 8-footer, and McCall bounced in a 3-ball off the back rim. Pait sent an assist to Hill for a lay-up then nailed another 3-ball from the right wing. Junior Demarion Bryant dished an assist to Hunter Hester for a lay-up and a 56-42 lead at the quarter break.

The Knights shot 71% from the field (25 for 35) and were 9 of 15 (60%) on 3-point attempts. However 27 turnovers against the unrelenting Jaguar pressure plagued the West offense.

West Bladen held a 28-21 edge on the boards, but Farmville had a 14-4 edge in offensive rebounds. The Jaguars shot 41% (26 for 63), but were 6 for 18 (33%) on 3-pointers.

“We boxed out better tonight than we did last time against them,” said Coach Pait. “That was our game plan – box out, be calm and make shots.”

‘MJ’ Williams led all scorers for the Jaguars with 25 points. Bryant Dixon followed with 13 points. This will be the first time in 7 years that Farmville has not played in the Class 2A Championship Game.

FARMVILLE CENTRAL (66) – Cameron Honey 9, Bryant Dixon 13, JaQuez Dixon 2, Jordan James 2, Amarion Williams 5, ‘MJ’ Williams 25, Omaurie Phillips 2, Josiha Crandell 1, Xavier Shepard, Steven Johnson 7.

WEST BLADEN (68) – Jackson Pait 17, Hezekiah Adams 10, Demarion Bryant, Tylik McCall 8, Kendell Lesane 11, Keonta Hill 2, Conner Monroe, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Chase Williams 18, Hunter Hester 2.