ELIZABETHTOWN – East Bladen’s five seniors celebrated their Senior Night Wednesday with standout performances as the Eagles defeated West Bladen 91-54 in non-conference boys’ basketball action.
The 5 seniors –Javant McDowell, Rasean McKoy, Charles Brown, Jacob Priest and Freddy Wooten – were honored in ceremonies before the game.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
McDowell led the Eagles with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 dunks. McKoy followed with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 dunks. Charles Brown fired in 16 points, Priest finished with 10 points, and Wooten reached double-figures with 11 rebounds to go with his 7 points and 4 steals.
“Freddy had a great defensive game,” said Eagle Coach Aking Elting. “Our 3 big guys (McDowell, McKoy and Zamar Lewis) all had great games. We really needed this game for our confidence, and it was a great way to end Senior Night.”
Lewis, a sophomore, finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds, and sophomore Malcolm Bolden threw in 13 points.
Senior ShyRon Adams pumped in 17 points and had 4 rebounds for the Knights. Javonta Matthews followed with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Donovan Stone tossed in 10 points, and Gary Parker, Anthony Mitchell and Keshaun Ballard grabbed 4 rebounds each.
“I didn’t think we played hard to start with,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “But I was proud of the second half. I had watched film on East, but what you don’t see on film is how athletic they are. They just ran past us. We can play better against them.”
Adams nailed a 3-point shot to start the game, but Charles Brown sparked an 18-0 East run with 2 lay-ups and a 3-ball. Priest sank 2 free throws and a lay-up, McDowell delivered a free throw and a dunk in transition, and McKoy and Lewis netted baskets.
Parker canned a pair of free throws, and Matthews turned an Adams feed into a lay-up. McDowell and Adams traded baskets at the rim, before Bolden drove for a pair of baskets then sent a pass to Lewis for a lay-up and a 26-11 lead at the quarter break.
Lewis converted a turnover into an East lay-up, and Adams knocked down another 3-ball to begin the 2nd period. Bolden attacked the rim for 2 lay-ups, and Wooten banked in a runner. Stone twisted in a lay-up, and Matthews buried a 3-ball to keep the margin at 34-19.
Two lay-ups each by Charles Brown and McKoy plus a Bolden lay-in ignited a 16-3 East run to close the half. McDowell hammered in another dunk and a lay-up to push the lead to 50-22. A Mitchell lay-up and a Parker free throw accounted for the West points.
Matthews began the 2nd half with a trio of lay-ups for West. Priest responded with a lay-up and a free throw. Adams and Stone bombed in 3-balls to pull the Knights within 53-34.
A McKoy dunk and a Charles Brown 3-ball started another East surge. McDowell slammed in a dunk and 3 more lay-ups. Adams answered with an 8-footer and 2 free throws. Josiah Brown drove for a West lay-up, and Stone pulled up for a 16-footer. Lay-ups by Lewis and McKoy sent East to the quarter break with a 70-43 lead.
Wooten canned 2 free throws and a 3-ball, and Bolden flipped in a runner to begin the final period. Freshman Landon Stanley drilled in a 3-pointer for West, and Stone hooked in a lay-up.
McKoy closed out the game with 2 lay-ups and an acrobatic dunk-follow. McDowell muscled in 2 lay-ups, and Priest and Charles Brown converted rebound baskets. Freshman Cornelius Esters connected on a 3-ball for West, and freshman Andre Moore popped in a floater.
East Bladen improved to 5-3 and will travel to Fairmont Friday night. West Bladen will visit Whiteville Friday night.
West Bladen 11 11 21 11 – 54
East Bladen 26 24 20 21 – 91
WB (62) – Cornelius Esters 3, Andre Moore 2, Anthony Mitchell 3, Josiah Brown 2, Landon Stanley 3, Donovan Stone 10, Keshaun Ballard, Josh Lewis, ShyRon Adams 17, Javonta Matthews 11, Deonte Lacey, Gary Parker 3.
EB (91) – Charles Brown 16, Malcolm Bolden 13, Jacob Priest 10, Rasean McKoy 16, Nazir Smith, Zamar Lewis 8, Javant McDowell 21, Freddy Wooten 7.
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