Spread the love

By John Clark

ELIZABETHTOWN — Junior guard Dominick Collins poured in 30 points Friday night to spark East Bladen to an 80-56 Waccamaw Conference boys’ basketball victory over Pender.

Collins also collected 4 steals. Eagle senior Lee Barnes buried a trio of 3-point shots and finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Rodney Lacewell powered in 9 points and had 7 rebounds. Junior Kewone Maynor contributed 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

Sophomore Keyshawn Kemp racked up 6 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists, and senior Peyton Tatum added 4 points and 5 rebounds. Sherman Long came up with 3 steals, and junior Chace Butler had 2 steals.

After dropping a pair of very close games earlier this week, Eagle Coach Aking Elting said, “We needed this one. Everybody played and it was a big win for our guys to give them some confidence.”

East Bladen improved to 4-5 in league play and evened their overall mark at 9-9. The Eagles will travel to West Columbus Tuesday night.

Collins swished a 17-footer, and Maynor turned a Kemp assist into a lay-up then netted a foul shot. Maynor raced for a lay-up, and Barnes connected on 3 free throws for a 10-3 Eagle lead.

Pender’s Malcolm Driver answered with a 3-ball, and Desmon Thomas hit a long 2-pointer to slice the lead to 10-8. Barnes sank 2 free throws then buried a 3-ball. Kemp flipped in a runner, and Collins made a free throw for an 18-8 lead at the break.

Tatum spun to the hoop for a basket, and Collins fired in 2 free throws and a 17-footer. Barnes drained 3-balls from each wing then popped in a 4-footer. Collins cashed in 2 free throws. Lacewell and Collins banged in rebound baskets, and Lacewell turned a Long assist into a lay-up. Collins and Butler tacked on free throws for a 42-24 Eagle halftime lead.

Collins made 2 foul shots and a lay-up, and Maynor drove for a lay-up to keep East up 48-33. Lacewell converted a Maynor assist into a lay-up. Collins scooped in a lay-up, nailed a pull-up 15-footer then turned a steal into a lay-up. Lacewell canned a free throw, but another Driver 3-ball pulled the Patriots to within 57-42.

Collins drove for 3 lay-ups and pumped in a 15-footer in the final period. Lacewell muscled in a pair of follow shots. Kemp pounded in a follow shot and turned a steal into a lay-up. Long dropped in a lay-up off a Tevin McLean assist and tallied a free throw. Tatum converted a Kemp assist into a lay-up, and Barnes tacked on 2 free throws.

Senior Cyrus Page topped the Patriot scoring with 23 points. Driver threw in a trio of 3-point shots for 9 points.

Pender 8 16 18 14 — 56
East Bladen 18 24 15 23 — 80

Pender (56) — Arthur Hester 7, Malcolm Driver 9, Patrick Keith, James McAllister 1, Desmon Thomas 5, Jaheim Lambe 5, Cyrus Page 23, Adrian Lewis 5, Ryan Howell 1, Demarius White, Emmett Wade, Tequon Robinson, Adrian Merritt.

East Bladen (80) — Dominick Collins 30, Chace Butler 3, Lee Barnes 18, Sherman Long 3, Shannon Hankins, Kewone Maynor 7, Peyton Tatum 4, Tevin McClean, Rodney Lacewell 9, Keyshawn Kemp 6.