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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Messiah Leach fired in a 3-point shot with 45 seconds left that lifted East Bladen to a 42-41 Three Rivers Conference boys basketball victory over East Columbus Tuesday night.
Trey Brown drove for a lay-up and a 3-point play with 6:25 remaining that gave East Columbus a 38-33 lead. Eagle senior Adonis Avery answered by nailing a pair of 3-point shots from the right corner that put East Bladen on top 39-38 with 4:48 on the clock.
Donovan Worley made 2 free throws with 3:44 left that gave the Gators their final lead at 40-39. Play became more deliberate down the stretch until Leach connected from the top of the key with the game-winner.
The Gators DeMarkus Brown hit a free throw with ten seconds left that sliced the margin to 42-41, but he crossed the line on his second attempt for a violation that gave the ball to East Bladen.
Eagle junior Pierce Melvin raced to catch-up with an errant in-bounds pass and turned an imminent turnover into a Gator foul. It took 3 more Gator fouls to finally get East Bladen into the one-and-one with 3.6 seconds remaining. The shot missed but Melvin ran down the rebound as the horn sounded.
“The kids played hard and they played together,” said Eagle Coach Kenzil McCall. “We had kids stepping up when Sincere (Smith) and Bryon (Bowen) fouled out. They hit big shots just like they do in practice.”
“Messiah hit the big shot, but he has been doing a good job helping us keep our turnovers down,” continued Coach McCall. “I told them if we can hold turnovers under 15 and get 35 rebounds that we will win.” The Eagles outrebounded East Columbus 32-27 and only committed 11 turnovers.
Avery led the Eagles with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Smith posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 3:44 left. Leach finished with 8 points, and freshman Javant McDowell totaled 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.
Worley and Greylan Daniels shared scoring honors for East Columbus with 9 points each. DeMarkus Brown chipped in with 7 points.
Avery dropped in a lay-up off of the opening tap, and Smith drilled in a 3-point shot for an early 5-2 Eagle lead. Smith turned a Leach assist into a lay-up and a 7-6 lead.
Rebound baskets by Alterek Simpson and Jordan McKoy gave East Columbus an 11-7 lead, before Leach raced end-to-end with a long rebound to pull the Eagles to within 11-9 at the quarter break.
T. J. Bark launched a 3-ball for a 14-10 East Columbus lead. Junior Keshaun Davis hit a free throw, and Melvin flipped in a runner to close the gap to 14-13. Trey Brown’s 3-pointer jumped the Gator lead to 19-14, but Leach buried a 3-point shot to whittle the margin to 19-17.
Bark connected on a 3-ball again, but McDowell and Smith sank 2 free throws each to pull East Bladen within 23-21 at halftime.
A Worley basket and a Daniels 3-ball pushed the Gator lead to 28-21. Avery knocked down another 3-point shot, and McDowell tossed in a jump-hook to pull the Eagles within 30-26.
Daniels popped in another 3-ball, but Avery buried another 3-point shot, and Smith muscled in a follow shot then turned a Bryon Bowen assist into a lay-up that tied the game 33-33. Worley drove for a lay-up and a 35-33 Gator lead at the quarter break.
It was the first league win and the third win in a row for Coach McCall’s Eagles who travel to West Bladen Friday night.
EAST BLADEN (42) –Adonis Avery 14, Byron Bowen, Robert Cooley, Keshaun Davis 1, Messiah Leach 8, Pierce Melvin 2, Deondre Newkirk, Javant McDowell 4, Sincere Smith 13, Reashoid Pone.
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