03/29/2024
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ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior Malcolm Bolden poured in 22 of his game-high 26 points during a 30-9 closing surge as East Bladen overcame an 18-point deficit and claimed a 51-48 boys basketball victory over West Bladen in the Southeastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

Sophomore Malachi Allen popped in a 16-footer to stretch the Knight lead to 39-21 with 3:31 left in the 3rd quarter, before Bolden ignited the Eagle spurt with a driving lay-up. Junior Yontee Dobson dropped in a follow, Bolden hit 2 free throws, and junior Zamar Lewis spun to the rim for the basket that closed the gap to 39-29 at the quarter break.

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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong

Bolden started the final period with a pair of lay-ups then slammed in a dunk and flipped in a floater. Lewis’ follow shot cut the West lead to 40-39, but senior Javonta Matthews banked in a 6-footer and tacked on a free throw to pad the lead to 43-39 with 2:40 on the clock.

A long 3-point basket by Bolden pulled East to within 43-42, but junior Gary Parker powered in a lay-up for a 45-42 lead. Junior Jacob Nixon scored a transition lay-up, and Bolden sank 7 of 8 foul shots in the final 38 seconds to pull out the win for the Eagles.

Allen bombed in a 3-ball with 4 seconds left to pull West to within 49-48, but Bolden canned his final 2 free throws and a last-ditch Knight shot bounded off the rim.

Nixon finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Lewis racked up 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots for the Eagles. Allen, Matthews and Adams shared scoring honors for the Knights with 10 points each, and senior Josiah Brown added 8 points.

“It was a good game, but we know this one always is,” said Eagle Coach Aking Elting. “Cameron White gave us some great minutes in the second half. Things didn’t go our way in the first half (foul trouble for Lewis and Bolden), but the kids stayed strong and showed a lot of grit. I am proud of them.”

“Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. The Knights committed 11 turnovers in the final quarter and 17 in the second half. “We have got to put in the work to get better individually before we can get better as a team.”

A Nixon 3-ball and a Bolden lay-up gave East an early 5-1 lead. Brown and freshman Chase Williams dropped in lay-ups for West, and Matthews cashed in 3 free throws before Nixon nailed another 3-pointer for a 10-8 Eagle lead at the quarter break.

Adams and Brown turned steals into lay-ups then delivered a 3-point basket each to begin the 2nd period. Matthews tossed in a pair of foul shots, and Landon Stanley fired in a 3-point shot for a 23-11 Knight lead.

Lewis and Matthews traded inside baskets, but Nixon flipped in a runner and tacked on a free throw to whittle the Knight halftime lead to 26-17.

Bolden began the 2nd half with a lay-up, and Lewis muscled in a follow to trim the margin to 26-21. Adams pulled up for a 12-footer then drove for a lay-up. Matthews put back a rebound, before Allen drilled in a 3-pointer, 2 free throws and a 16-footer to cap a 13-0 Knight spurt as the lead grew to 39-21.

The Eagles improved to 5-4 and will host West Columbus Thursday night. The Knights, now 7-5, will travel to Fairmont Friday night.

West Bladen        8     18     13     9  – 48
East Bladen        10      7     12    22 – 51

WB (48) – Hezekiah Adams 10, Josiah Brown 8, Landon Stanley 3, Malachi Allen 10, Keshawn Ballard, Gary Parker 5, Javonta Matthews 10, Chase Williams 2, Travail Baldwin.

EB (51) – Malcolm Bolden 26, Dominick Collins 1, Jordan Mathis, Jacob Nixon 11, Nazire Smith, Cam White, Malaki Monroe, Yontee Dobson 3, Zamar Lewis 10.

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