BLADENBORO – Juniors Jacob Nixon and Malcolm Bolden tossed in 17 points each to lead East Bladen to a 50-45 Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball victory over West Bladen Monday night.
Nixon also pulled down 5 rebounds and had 3 steals. Junior center Zamar Lewis worked the glass for 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots for the Eagles. Senior Nazire Smith contributed 4 points and 5 rebounds, and junior Jordan Mathis tallied 4 rebounds.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Sophomore Malachi Allen just missed a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds for the Knights. Senior Javonta Matthews and freshmen Hezekiah Adams and Chase Williams finished with 8 points each for West. Matthews collected 5 rebounds and 3 steals, Adams had 3 steals and Williams grabbed 4 rebounds. Junior Gary Parker grabbed 8 rebounds.
Allen started the final quarter with a follow shot that put West up 39-36, but Nixon buried a 3-ball to tie the score. Bolden put back his own miss then slammed in a dunk off of a steal and feed from Smith for a 43-39 lead with 4:55 on the clock.
Matthews powered in a 4-footer for West, but Lewis answered with a lay-up for East. Nixon canned a pair of foul shots, but Allen pulled up for a baseline jumper. Nixon knocked down a 16-footer with 49 seconds left that padded the East lead to 49-43.
“That was a big shot for us,” said Eagle Coach Aking Elting of Nixon’s basket. “We really need big games from Jacob, Malcolm and Zee (Lewis), and they came through for us.”
Williams and Lewis traded early inside baskets, before Allen and Blanks keyed a 9-0 Knight run. Adams darted through the Eagle press for a lay-up then stole the ball and dashed for another lay-up. Allen scored on a follow then bombed in a 3-ball for an 11-3 West lead.
Lewis interrupted the run with a lay-up, but Adams pumped in a 15-footer and senior Travail Baldwin turned a steal into a lay-up and a 15-5 lead. Bolden nailed a long 3-ball, but Parker’s rebound bucket gave West a 17-8 lead.
Bolden keyed a 10-0 Eagle run to begin the 2nd period. A Bolden assist resulted in a Lewis lay-up. After Nixon knocked down a 3-ball, Bolden turned a couple of Knight turnovers into lay-ups then tacked on a free throw for an 18-17 East lead.
Williams snapped the Knight scoring drought with a rebound basket, and Adams turned a steal into a lay-up and a 21-18 West lead. Lewis flipped in a 6-footer for East, but Baldwin beat the buzzer with a corner 3-ball to give West a 25-21 halftime lead.
The Eagle press forced 4 Knight turnovers to start the 2nd half. Nixon converted 3 of the turnovers into 2 lay-ups and a free throw, and Mathis muscled in a rebound for a 28-25 Eagle lead.
“It was hard for us to score in the first half,” said Elting. “But going to the press got us a couple of easy baskets and got our energy level up.”
Williams connected on an elbow jumper then hurled in a jump hook to halt the 7-0 East run. Matthews hurled in a turn-around 10-footer then turned a steal into a lay-up and a 33-30 lead. Bolden tied the game with a 3-ball, but Matthews dashed end-to-end for a basket.
Allen banged in a runner for West, but another turnover led to a Nixon lay-up that beat the horn and closed the gap to 37-36.
“We had some point-blank chances that we missed,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “But the turnovers (20) gave them too many easy baskets and lay-ups. Our defense was great when we were able to get it set, but the turnovers were the difference.”
East Bladen, now 3-0 in SAC-7 play and 8-4 overall, travels to St. Pauls Tuesday night for a 1st place showdown at 6 p.m. with the 3-0 Bulldogs. West Bladen, now 8-9, will host 3-0 Fairmont Wednesday night.
East Bladen 8 13 15 14 -50
West Bladen 17 8 12 8 – 45
East Bladen (50) – Malcolm Bolden 17, Jordan Mathis 2, Jacob Nixon 17, Nazire Smith 4, Lee Barnes, Cam White, Yontee Dobson, Zamar Lewis 10.
West Bladen (45) – Hezekiah Adams 8, Josiah Brown, Landon Stanley, Malachi Allen 13, Keshawn Ballard, Gary Parker 3, Javonta Matthews 8, Chase Williams 8, Travail Baldwin 5.
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