Spread the love

By John Clark

ELIZABETHTOWN – Sophomore Tylik McCall and senior Andre Moore buried two 3-point baskets each in the 1st 3 minutes of play Tuesday night to spark West Bladen to an early 15-2 lead and eventual 50-29 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over East Bladen.

McCall drained a pair of 3-balls from the left wing for a quick 6-0 lead. After Eagle junior Dominick Collins answered with a runner from the lane, Hezekiah Adams hit a free throw, and Moore fired in 2 more 3-pointers – one off of an Adams steal. Adams and junior Chase Williams sank free throws for a 15-2 Knight lead.

“We figured those 2 guys (McCall and Moore) would have to do it,” said West Coach Travis Pait. “Every one of our kids are skilled and can shoot the ball and we encourage them to shoot. I thought we took good shots all night.”

Collins threw in 2 more runners from the lane to close the gap to 15-6 at the quarter break.

Adams put back a follow, and Williams spun to the rim for a lay-up to start the 2nd period. Adams nailed a corner 3-ball and made a free throw to stretch the lead to 23-6.

“I thought Hezzy was really active tonight,” said Coach Pait. Adams just missed a double-double with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists.

Collins popped in a 10-footer then banked in a long 3-ball to close the gap to 23-11, before Knight senior Cornelius Esters rattled in a baseline jumper for a 25-11 West halftime lead.

Adams drove for a lay-up to start the 2nd half, and Williams muscled in a follow, but senior Lee Barnes drilled in a 3-pointer, and Collins flipped in another runner for East.

Adams drove for another lay-up, but Collins netted a foul shot then stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up. However McCall bombed in another 3-pointer, and Williams hammered in a dunk off of a feed from sophomore Jackson Pait to boost the lead to 36-19 at the quarter break.

Collins tossed in another runner, and senior Rodney Lacewell powered in a rebound bucket to pull the Eagles within 36-23. Adams answered with another lay-up, but junior Kewone Maynor scored a transition lay-up to keep the margin at 38-25.

McCall fired in a pair of 3-point shots, and Williams dropped in a transition lay-up then flushed another dunk – both off assists from Jackson Pait- as the lead grew to 48-25 with 1:33 left. Another Williams dunk off a Pait assist was answered by baskets from Peyton Tatum and Maynor.

McCall led the Knights with 15 points off those five 3-point shots and added 2 assists. Williams, a 6-7 center, recorded a double-double of 19 rebounds, 13 points, 4 blocked shots and 2 assists.

“We had been pushing Tylik all week in practice even weren’t sure if he was going to start and he really came through,” noted Coach Pait. “Chase really battled against all that they threw at him.”

Moore finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Pait distributed 6 assists, and freshman Kendell Lessane grabbed 4 rebounds.

“I thought we were really good defensively,” continued Coach Pait. “We knew Dominick was going to get his, but we wanted to hold the other guys down. I was happy with our effort.”

Collins topped all scorers with 18 points. Maynor followed with 4 points. Sophomore Ronnie Covington pulled down 10 rebounds, and Barnes followed with 9 rebounds. Lacewell corralled 5 rebounds.

“That’s a really good team East has,” concluded Coach Pait. “They should do well in the Waccamaw Conference.”

West Bladen improved to 3-1 and will visit South Columbus Thursday night. East Bladen, now 2-3, will host Purnell Swett Wednesday night.

West Bladen 15 10 11 14 — 50
East Bladen 6 5 8 10 — 29

West Bladen (50) — Jackson Pait 1, Hezekiah Adams 13, Tylik McCall 15, Kendell Lessane, Conner Monroe, Andre Moore 6, Cornelius Esters 2, Donovan Tubbs, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 13.

East Bladen (29) — Dominick Collins 18, Sherman Long, Lee Barnes 3, Shannon Hankins, Ronnie Covington, Kewone Maynor 4, Peyton Tatum, Tevin McClean 2, Rodney Lacewell 2.