DUNN- West Bladen fired in 13 3-point shots Wednesday night as the Knights closed out Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball regular season play with their 3rd straight win – 59-52 over Midway.
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights have clinched the No. 5 seed for next week’s SAC tournament with a 4-8 league record and are 11-12 overall.
Sophomore Malachi Allen led the Knights 3-point bombardment as he poured in six 3-point goals to top the West scoring with 20 points. Sophomore Landon Stanley fired in a trio of 3-point shots and finished with 11 points. Five different Knights made 3-point shots.
Senior Keshawn Ballard drilled in a pair of 3-balls and tallied 8 points. Senior Javonta Matthews buried a 3-ball and totaled 7 points, and freshman Hezekiah Adams swished a 3-ball and followed with 6 points. Freshman Chase Williams dropped in 5 points.
Stanley threw in a 3-pointer and another basket in the opening period, Matthews powered in a basket, and Adams hit a free throw to keep West tied 8-8. Warren Naylor and Wyatt Holland connected on 3-balls in the period for Midway.
Ballard drained a pair of 3-balls and netted another basket in the 2nd quarter. Stanley swished another 3-ball, and junior Gary Parker muscled in a basket. Holland answered with a 3-ball, a basket and a free throw, and teammate Trey Gregory added 4 points to keep the score knotted 21-21 at halftime.
Allen caught fire in the 3rd period burning the nets with a trio of 3-balls. His teammates warmed up too as Adams, Stanley and Matthews delivered 3-balls. Chase Williams worked the paint for a basket and a free throw as the Knights took a 42-33 lead.
Allen stayed hot as he pumped in 3 more 3-point baskets and a pair of free throws in the final period. Matthews and Adams popped in a basket each, and Chase Williams sank 2 foul shots.
Davis Williams who racked up 8 3-balls and 29 points on Tuesday night against East Bladen finally connected on a 3-point shot, 2 other baskets and a free throw in the 4th quarter and led the Raiders with 13 points. Teammate Casey Culbreth scored all 10 of his points in the 2nd half. Holland finished with 11 points, and Tripp Westbrook scored all 9 of his points after halftime.
West Bladen 8 13 21 17 – 59
Midway 8 13 12 19 – 52
WEST BLADEN (59) – Hezekiah Adams 6, Josiah Brown, Landon Stanley 11, Malachi Allen 20, Keshawn Ballard 8, Gary Parker 2, Walter Bealon, Javonta Matthews 7, Chase Williams 5, Travail Baldwin.
MIDWAY (52) – Nate Smith, Warren Naylor 5, Davis Williams 13, Trey Gregory 4, Jaylin Baggett, Casey Culbreth 10, Jack Hazelbeck, Wyatt Holland 11, Israel Cook, Tripp Westbrook 9, Randy McMillan.
About Author
