FAIRMONT – Junior Zamar Lewis posted a double-double, and junior guards Malcolm Bolden and Jacob Nixon combined for 31 points Monday night to lead East Bladen to a 51-46 Southeastern Athletic Conference boys basketball victory over Fairmont.
Lewis finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocked shots. Bolden fired in 14 of his game-high 17 points in the 1st half and had 3 steals. Nixon threw in 9 of his 14 points in the 2nd half, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 5 assists and had 3 steals.
“Zee (Lewis) is always big for us inside – that’s 3 double-doubles in a row,” said Eagle Coach Aking Elting. “Jacob has played big for us all year. He has a high basketball I. Q. Malcolm just does what he does. He has been very consistent.”
Junior Malaki Monroe popped out of a double-team and drove for a lay-up that put the Eagles up 47-37 with 3:00 left in the game. The Tornadoes capitalized on a trio of East turnovers to reel off 7 straight points and cut the lead to 47-44 with 1:21 remaining.
Bolden darted through the Tornado press and pitched ahead to Lewis for a lay-up, but a pair of Walker Chavis free throws for Fairmont closed the gap to 49-46. Nixon was fouled and sank both foul shots to push the lead to 51-46 with 1:01 remaining.
A big steal by Bolden with 42 seconds left helped the Eagles run some time off the clock.
East Bladen improved to 5-1 in SAC-7 play and 10-5 overall with the win. It is the first time the Eagles have posted double-figure wins in a season since 2014-15 when they finished 10-14. East Bladen will travel to Red Springs Tuesday night to battle the 6-1 Red Devils for 2nd place in the SAC-7.
Bolden raced for a lay-up off the opening tap, and Fairmont’s Gabriel Washington answered with a lay-up. Nixon ignited an 11-0 East run with a free throw, Bolden scored in transition, Lewis pumped in a turn-around and Nixon popped in a 12-footer. Twice Nixon hurled in-bounds passes to Bolden for lay-ups and a 13-2 Eagle lead.
The East Bladen defense held the Tornadoes scoreless for 6 minutes after the opening bucket. “The guys have worked hard and are beginning to understand their rotations better,” said Elting. “They are talking out there and that is good to see.”
Savonte McKeithan pulled the Tornadoes to within 13-5 at the quarter break, and a couple of lay-ups trimmed the margin to 13-9 a minute into the 2nd period.
Bolden flew end-to-end through the press for a lay-up to halt the rally, junior Yontee Dobson nailed 2 free throws and Nixon leaped to tap a full-court pass to Lewis who hammered in the dunk for a 19-9 lead.
After Chavis’ 3-ball interrupted the run, Nixon tossed in a baseline jumper, and Bolden connected on 3 of 4 free throws to pad the lead to 24-12, before a couple of turnovers enabled Fairmont to pull within 24-17 at halftime.
A Tyrek Thompson transition lay-up whittled the lead to 24-21, before the Eagles answered with a 15-4 spurt. Nixon knocked down a fade-away 12-footer, Lewis swished 2 free throws and Nixon beat the press for a lay-up.
Dobson cashed in 2 free throws, Nixon sent a pass to Bolden for a lay-up then drained a 3-point shot. A Nixon feed resulted in a Monroe lay-up as the lead grew to 39-25, before Thompson’s follow shot made it 39-27 at the quarter break.
Bolden opened the final period with a driving bank shot, and Monroe drove through traffic for a lay-up and a 43-29 lead. McKeithan’s 3-ball whittled the margin to 43-36, but senior Nazire Smith delivered an assist to Lewis for a lay-up and a 45-36 Eagle lead at the 4:02 mark.
Monroe dribbled through traffic for lay-ups twice in the final period and finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds. Smith had the big assist, plus 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Dobson added 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
“Sometimes it’s better to take the ball right at pressure and attack it,” said Elting about Monroe’s 2 big lay-ups. “It is always great to get contributions from some of our other guys.”
Chavis led the Fairmont scoring with 10 points, and Thompson and McKeithan followed with 9 points each.
East Bladen 13 11 15 12 – 51
Fairmont 5 12 10 19 – 46
East Bladen (51) – Malcolm Bolden 17, Jordan Mathis, Jacob Nixon 14, Nazire Smith, Cam White, Yontee Dobson 4, Zamar Lewis 10, Malaki Monroe 6.
Fairmont (46) – Cameron Sweat 4, Khalil Alford, Elijah Richardson 3, Gabriel Washington 5, Savonte McKeithan 9, Tyrek Thompson 9, Ty’rus Morris 2, Walker Chavis 10, John Poe, Derrick Baker 4, Jacob Hunt.
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