ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior Zamar Lewis dominated the inside play and posted a whopping double-double of 21 points and 20 rebounds Friday night to lead East Bladen’s Eagles to a 60-44 Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball victory over Clinton.
“It’s just so good to have Zee (Lewis) back,” said Eagle Coach Aking Elting. “And Malcolm (Bolden) with 10 assists was outstanding. We just need to play our game the way that we are capable of and we will be fine.”
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
With the victory the Eagles completed regular season play with a 9-3 SAC-7 record and a 14-7 overall mark. East Bladen will host Clinton again Monday night in the opening round of the SAC-7 Tournament.
Bolden was limited to 5 points but dished out 10 assists and had 3 rebounds. Junior Jacob Nixon contributed 14 points and 5 rebounds. Senior Nazire Smith celebrated his Senior Night with 6 points and 5 rebounds. Junior Jordan Mathis added 5 points and 4 rebounds, and sophomore Peyton Tatum grabbed 3 rebounds.
Lewis powered in a couple of rebound baskets to start the game, and the other Eagle senior, Ahmad Powell, stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up. Nixon cashed in all 3 free throws on 1 foul then hit another foul shot. Lewis flipped in a turn-around, before Nixon turned a Bolden assist into a lay-up. Junior Cam White nailed a 3-point shot to boost the lead to 17-8 at the quarter break.
Junior Yontee Dobson delivered an assist to Mathis for a lay-up, before Bolden banked in a 3-ball for a 22-8 lead. Tatum dropped in a follow shot, and Nixon canned 2 free throws, before Lewis slammed in a dunk off of a Bolden feed and tacked on the free throw. Nazire Smith stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up and a 31-18 halftime lead.
Lewis muscled in 2 more rebound baskets to begin the 3rd period. Bolden sent a pass to Mathis for a lay-up and a 3-point play. Nixon drained a corner 3-ball, before Lewis and Dobson tossed in short jumpers. Another Bolden assist produced a Lewis lay-up and a 47-33 Eagle lead at the quarter break.
Bolden distributed assists to Lewis and Nazire Smith for lay-ups to start the final period. Clinton narrowed the gap to 51-42 on a Landen Pearson 3-pointer and a B. J. Bennett follow shot with 2:14 left. Nazire Smith pounded the boards for a rebound basket that padded the lead to 53-42 with 1:01 remaining. Nixon turned a Bolden assist into a 3-point play, before Bolden and Lewis hammered in dunks to end the game.
Pearson led the Dark Horses with 9 points, and Blake Smith and Bennett followed with 8 points each. Zicareian McNeil tallied 7 points.
On a side note Clinton Coach Ron Davis shared before the game that Friday was his 1st time in an East Bladen gym since he was named the Most Valuable Player on the 1991 East Bladen Cougar team of Coach Sam Boger. Of course the 1991 team played in what is now the Sam Boger Gym at Elizabethtown Middle School.
Clinton 8 10 15 11 – 44
East Bladen 17 14 16 13 – 60
CLINTON (44) – Zicareian McNeil 7, Walker Spell, Blake Smith 8, Landen Pearson 9, Nick Smith 4, Bryan Edwards 4, B. J. Bennett 8, Jon Blackman 4.
EAST BLADEN (60) – Ahmad Powell 2, Malcolm Bolden 5, Jordan Mathis 5, Jacob Nixon 14, Nazire Smith 6, Cam White 3, Peyton Tatum 2, Yontee Dobson 2, Malaki Monroe, Zamar Lewis 21.
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