03/19/2024
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DUBLIN – Senior Chris Holmes beat the buzzer with a follow shot that lifted Heide Trask to a 42-41 Four County Conference boys basketball victory over West Bladen Friday night.

Derrick Benton’s 3-point shot had given the Titans a 40-39 with 3:32 left to play. Both teams missed several scoring chances over the next 3 minutes until Knight senior Sayaun Dent sank 2 free throws with 19 seconds remaining that put West ahead 41-40.

On the final possession, the Titans forced up a long 3-pointer, but Holmes was all alone underneath for the put-back.

The loss was disappointing for a Knight team that fell behind by 14 points in the first half then fought back to take the lead in the third quarter.

“We didn’t deserve to get back in the game but we did,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “We played better for awhile in the second half, then they shoot and nobody boxes out.”

After their first shot was blocked, the Titans hit 5 shots in a row and 9 of 13 attempts in the first quarter to take a 21-8 lead. Junior Jonathan Robinson flipped in a jump-hook, junior Jimmy Williams hit 2 free throws, and Dent popped in a 17-footer for West. Junior Scott Bowen tossed in a 4-footer off of a Kalvin Page assist to cap the Knight scoring in the first period.

After senior John Bowen canned 2 free throws, the Titans stretched their lead to 24-10. Robinson hooked in a follow, John Bowen drilled a 3-point shot, and sophmore Keshawn Lewis made a free throw to trim the margin to 24-16 at halftime.

Dent banked in a runner and tacked on a free throw to begin the second half. Dent cashed in 4 of 6 free throws, and John Bowen sprinted for a lay-up. Dent knocked down a pair of pull-up 15 footers and hurled in a 4-footer to put the Knights ahead 31-27. West led 31-29 at the quarter break.

Jaylin Mashack and Jajuan Carr sandwiched 3-point shots around another Robinson jump-hook as the Titans regained a 37-33 lead.

Robinson muscled in a rebound, and John Bowen dunked off of a Page assist to tie the score at 37-37. Another Robinson rebound basket edged West Bladen ahead 39-37 with 5:04 remaining.

Dent topped the Knight scoring with 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Robinson posted a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. John Bowen totaled 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Page had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Mashack led Trask with 10 points.

The Knights, now 8-3 in the league and 15-6 overall, will resume play next Friday after the exam break at Clinton.

WEST BLADEN (41) – Kalvin Page, Scott Bowen 2, Jimmy Williams 2, Keshawn Lewis 1, Drew Harris, Sayaun Dent 17, Jonathan Robinson 10, John Bowen 9.

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