By John Clark
BLADENBORO – West Bladen’s young Knights did it again. After his team claimed 3 key wins last week over Southeastern Athletic Conference opponents, Coach Travis Pait said, “And now we get to play ‘Goliath.’ Pait was referring of course to long and tall St. Pauls who sat atop the SAC-7 standings.
Tuesday night on Senior Night in The Castle, Pait’s Knights posted a 52-43 victory over St. Pauls and joined the Bulldogs and East Bladen – an 85-74 winner over Red Springs – in a 3-way tie for 1st place with 1 game remaining. The Knights, 8-3 in SAC-7 play and 17-6 overall, travel to Midway Friday night, while St. Pauls, 8-3 in the league and 12-11 overall, will host East Bladen.
Sophomore Chase Williams, a 6-7 center, buried a 3-point shot then muscled in a lay-up off of a hand-off from senior Gary Parker while both of them were airborne that extended the Knight lead to 44-30 with 5:05 remaining.
Bulldog freshman Tyson Thompson, a 6-9 center, answered with a follow shot and a 3-point play and senior Elijah Blanding connected on 6 straight free throws. Junior Andre Moore interrupted the run with a free throw for West, but senior Lukus Osborne’s lay-up brought the Bulldogs to within 45-43 with 1:11 on the clock.
Williams sank 2 free throws, then blocked a shot and grabbed the ball on the defensive end. The Bulldogs went to the foul game at that point, and freshman Jackson Pait knocked down 2 big free throws with 43 seconds left. Sophomore Hezekiah Adams made 3 of 4 foul shots in the final 17 seconds to secure the win.
Adams led the Knights with 17 points and 2 steals. Williams only played 5 minutes in the 1st half due to foul trouble but rang up all 14 of his points after halftime and finished with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Pait nailed a trio of 3-point shots and totaled 13 points and 2 steals. Freshman Tylik McCall added 5 points, and Parker pulled down 5 rebounds.
“Hezi” (Adams) was unbelievable tonight,” said Coach Pait. “Chase was amazing – unbelievably clutch. This team loves each other and they will battle. We haven’t won anything yet, and we have had a lot of respect for Midway all year.” The Knights have now won 7 of their last 8 games, including the last 6 in a row.
Jackson Pait drilled in a pair of 3-pointers in the 1st quarter and fired an outlet pass to Adams for a lay-up. Adams stole the ball and dashed for another lay-up and a 10-8 lead. However senior Kemarion Baldwin powered in a follow shot and a lay-up, and 6-6 freshman Josiah Sanders’ lay-in put St. Pauls up 14-10 at the break.
Two Thompson free throws upped the count to 16-10, before McCall and Sanders traded 3-balls. After McCall hit a free throw, sophomore Theo Setzer’s lay-up gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead at 21-14. Adams drained a 3-ball and a free throw, and Parker banged in a follow to trim the St. Pauls halftime lead to 21-20.
Blanding stole the ball and padded the Bulldog lead to 23-20 to begin the 2nd half. Adams cashed in 2 free throws, before Williams’ reverse lay-up vaulted West on top. Adams stole the ball and flew to the rim for a lay-up and a 3-point play. Williams dropped in 2 foul shots, and Pait threw in a baseline runner for a 31-23 Knight lead.
Williams converted a rebound basket into a 3-point play, and Adams hurled in a driving lay-up for a 36-26 West lead at the quarter break. Pait opened the final period with a 3-ball from the top of the key that grew the lead to 39-26.
Thompson led the Bulldogs with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Blanding totaled 10 points, and Sanders followed with 9 points. Osborne netted 6 points.
Knight seniors Gary Parker, Walter Bealon and Anthony Mitchell and senior manager Lorenza “Rev” Rogers were all honored in pre-game ceremonies.
St Pauls 14 7 5 17 – 43
West Bladen 10 10 16 16 – 52
ST. PAULS (43) – Jordan Cook, Lukus Osborne 6, Elijah Blanding 10, Kemarion Baldwin 5, Theo Setzer 2, Josiah Sanders 9, Houston Hunt, Tyson Thompson 11.
WEST BLADEN (52) – Jackson Pait 13, Hezekiah Adams 17, Tylik McCall 5, Andre Moore 1, Gary Parker 2, Walter Bealon, Anthony Mitchell, Chase Williams 14.
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