BLADENBORO – South Columbus made all 6 of their free throws in the final minute Friday night to edge West Bladen 57-54 in Three Rivers Conference boys’ basketball action.
Two free throws each from Aveon Bellamy and Rajon Graham pushed the Stallion lead to 55-49 with 30 seconds on the clock.
Knight senior Nijeah McKoy banged in a lay-up off of a feed from senior Nolan Bryant, and senior Tyre Boykin forced a South turnover then knocked down a 3-pointer to close the gap to 55-54 with 16 seconds left.
Bellamy made 2 more free throws with 8 seconds remaining, and a Knight attempt at a tying 3-pointer ricocheted off the front rim.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Boykin poured in 27 points and grabbed 5 rebounds to lead the Knights. Junior Shy’Ron Adams pumped in 11 points and snatched 7 rebounds. Junior Josh Lewis and senior Xayvon Davis added 4 rebounds each.
Jaquan Jordan led the Stallions with 15 points, and Bellamy and Riley Hewitt followed with 12 points each. Hewitt and Jordan made four 3-pointers each as South Columbus held a 9-4 edge in 3-point shots.
An Adams lay-up, 2 Lewis free throws and a corner 3-ball by Boykin staked the Knights to an early 7-3 lead. Boykin banked in a runner, tacked on a free throw then nailed a turn-around 16-footer. Adams sank a free throw to put West Bladen up 14-10 at the quarter break.
Boykin flipped in a runner and spun in a lay-up, and Adams hurled in a 4-footer, but a pair of Hewitt 3-balls rallied the Stallions into a 20-20 tie. Davis powered in a pair of follow shots, and Boykin buried a 3-point shot, but two 3-balls by Jaquan Jordan put South in front 29-27.
Junior Donovan Stone turned a rebound into a 3-point play and pulled up for a 10-footer that put West on top 32-29. Boykin tossed in a floater, and senior Nolan Bryant drilled in an elbow jumper to put the Knights up 36-31 at halftime.
Lewis hit a free throw, and Boykin cashed in 2 free throws. Adams muscled in a follow then stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up and a 43-38 West Bladen lead. Hewitt connected on another 3-ball to whittle the margin to 43-41 at the quarter break.
Boykin started the final period with a basket, but a Hewitt 3-ball ignited a 9-0 Stallion run that produced a 50-45 lead. Adams banked in a runner, and Boykin canned 2 free throws to slice the lead to 51-49 at the 1:16 mark.
“We didn’t guard anybody in the first half,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “We should have had a 12-15 point lead based on the way we scored the ball in the first half.”
The Stallions made 7 of 9 free throws in the final period and 14 of 20 foul shots in the game. West Bladen connected on 10 of 18 free throws.
The Knights, now 1-6 in the TRC and 4-9 overall, will travel to Fairmont Friday night after the exam break.
South Columbus 10 21 10 16 – 57
West Bladen 14 22 7 11 – 54
South Columbus (57) – Aveon Bellamy 12, Riley Hewett 12, Jaquan Jordan 15, Rajon Graham 5, Jordan Johnson 2, Treshawn Grate 5, Riley Gore, Capt’n Jordan 2, E. J. Tisdale 2, Cameron Ethridge 2.
West Bladen (54) – Gary Parker, Josh Lewis 3, Shy’Ron Adams 11, Tyre Boykin 27, Donovan Stone 5, Deonte Lacy, Tra’shawn Ballard, Nijeah McKoy 2, Xayvon Davis 4, Nolan Bryant 2.
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