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Junior guards Rodney Hansley and Jarious Williams combined for 48 points to lead Pender to a 67-61 Four County Conference boys basketball victory at West Bladen Wednesday night.
| Photos by Kenneth Armstrong kenarmphoto.com |
Hansley connected on five 3-point shots and topped all scorers with 25 points. Williams threw in a trio of 3-balls and finished with 23 points.
“They have shot-makers, and their shots went in,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “We didn’t make many shots.” The Knights made only 7 of 36 3-point shots.
Senior guard Stefan McDonald fired in four of those Knight 3-pointers and led West Bladen with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Junior John Bowen posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Knights.
Junior Sayaun Dent beat the final buzzer with a 3-ball and finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Sophmore Shaquille Johnson followed with 8 points and 7 rebounds.
Dent flipped in a short jumper, McDonald pitched ahead to Johnson for a transition lay-up and Dent turned a steal into a lay-up and a 6-0 Knight lead with 5:44 left in the first quarter.
Senior Devonje Greene rallied Pender with a pair of inside baskets, and the Patriots rode a 13-1 spurt to a 13-7 lead at the quarter break.
Johnson started the second period with 2 free throws, McDonald stole the ball and raced for a lay-up then scored on a follow shot in transition.
Freshman Keshawn Lewis sank 2 free thows, and McDonald drilled a 3-point shot to cap an 11-0 blitz that vaulted West in front 18-13.
Williams bombed in a pair of 3-pointers to ignite an 11-3 Pender rally. Johnson and Bowen drained 3-point shots for West, but Hansley closed the half with a 3-point play and a pull-up 12-footer that kept the Patriots up 28-24.
Hansley blistered the nets with a trio of 3-point bombs to start the second half. McDonald fired in a 3-ball and drove for a lay-up, but the Patriots pushed the lead to 40-30.
Bowen converted a pair of foul shots, and McDonald buried another 3-pointer to start a 16-6 Knight run. Junior Kalvin Page and McDonald drove for lay-ups, and McDonald delivered another 3-ball.
Senior Malique McDowell canned a free throw, and sophmore Jimmy Williams banked in a runner and tacked on a free throw to tie the game 46-46 at the quarter break.
Hansley and Greene connected on 3-balls as Pender took a 54-48 lead. Bowen answered with a lay-up, and a McDonald steal produced a lay-up that trimmed the margin to 54-52.
Williams tossed in a floater and a 3-ball that grew the lead to 59-52. A Johnson free throw and a Bowen transition lay-up trimmed the margin to 59-55 with 3:24 left to play.
Hansley turned a rebound into a 3-point play, and Williams hit 2 foul shots for a 64-55 lead. McDonald made 2 foul shots, and Lewis added one to slice the margin to 64-58 with 42 seconds remaining.
Two free throws by Alex Beatty and one by Williams sealed the verdict.
West Bladen is now 1-2 in the league and 10-3 overall and will visit Clinton Friday night.
West Bladen (61) – Kalvin Page 2, Jimmy Williams 3, Keshawn Lewis 4, Stefan McDonald 24, Sayaun Dent 9, Malique McDowell 1, Shaquille Johnson 8, Jonathan Robinson, Will Lambeth, John Bowen 10.
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