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By John Clark

BLADENBORO – Defense was the star at ‘The Castle’ Tuesday night as West Bladen’s Knights forced 15 St. Pauls turnovers and limited the Bulldogs to only 32% shooting from the field en route to a 51-29 Knight victory in Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball action.

The victory ran the Knights winning streak to 12 in a row and sets up a battle for 1st place in the SAC Friday night when Fairmont – a 41-39 victor over Red Springs Tuesday night – comes to the Castle. Coach Travis Pait’s Knights are 3-0 in SAC play and 14-1 overall.

Junior center Chase Williams led the Knights with 20 points and 3 rebounds despite sitting out over 13 minutes due to foul trouble. His back-up, junior Ty’Leak Ballard was also plagued by foul trouble. “We had to play 4 different people at center,” noted Coach Pait.

Junior Hezekiah Adams attacked the basket for 16 points and had 4 steals. Sophomore Jackson Pait pumped in 11 points, dished out 3 assists and had 3 steals. Sophomore Tylik McCall was credited with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Senior Andre Moore grabbed 3 rebounds.

Williams rammed in a dunk to start the Knight scoring, and Adams banked in a runner. Williams put back a rebound, and Pait drained a corner 3-ball for a 9-6 lead. Williams turned an Adams feed into a lay-up then swished a 15-footer for a 13-7 West lead.

McCall buried a 3-ball to begin the 2nd quarter, but St. Pauls’ 6-9 Tyson Thompson answered with a lay-up and Tykeem Oxendine banked in a basket to trim the margin to 16-11. Williams then picked up his 2nd foul and sat out the final 5:43 of the half.

Adams bounced in a 13-footer, and Pait hit a free throw for a 19-11 lead. Adams raced to the basket for a pair of lay-ups to keep the Knights on top 23-15 at halftime.

The Knights opened the 2nd half with an 18-5 surge. Adams started the run with a lay-up, and Williams converted a Pait assist into a lay-up. Williams spun past a defender to flip in a 4-footer, and Adams sank 2 free throws for a 31-15 lead.

“We made a few defensive adjustments on the fly at halftime,” said Coach Pait. “We didn’t shoot as well as we can, but the kids played hard. I am proud of them.”

The run continued as Pait banked in a runner then drilled in a 16-footer. McCall hit a free throw, Adams cashed in 2 more foul shots and Pait nailed a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 41-22 before Thompson dropped in a lay-up for the Bulldogs.

Williams banked in a short jumper to start the final quarter then put back a rebound. Oxendine’s runner pulled St. Pauls to within 45-26, but Williams tossed in 2 free throws and turned a Moore assist into a lay-up. Adams sped to the basket for a final Knight lay-up.

Thompson led the Bulldogs with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Markeon Fletcher followed with 6 points, and Oxendine tallied 5 points.

St. Pauls 7 8 7 7 — 29
West Bladen 13 10 18 10 — 51

St. Pauls (29) — Jordan Cook 1, Jamir McMillian 1, Theo Setzer 2, Chris Bryant 2, Jakhi Purcell, Markeon Fletcher 6, Jamarcus Smith 2, Tykeem Oxendine 5, Tyson Thompson 10, Antonio Arnold.

West Bladen (51) — Jackson Pait 11, Hezekiah Adams 16, Tylik McCall 4, Kendell Lessane, Andre Moore, Cornelius Esters, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 20.