BLADENBORO – West Bladen’s Knights rolled to early leads of 19-1 and 40-8 en route to a 61-20 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over Lakewood Wednesday night.
Sophomore Landon Stanley flipped in a 10-footer, and senior Josiah Brown banked in a 3-pointer then canned 2 foul shots to start the game. Senior Javontae Matthews turned an assist from sophomore Malachi Allen into a lay-up, and freshman Hezekiah Adams banked in a 15-footer for an 11-0 Knight lead.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Junior Gary Parker converted an assist from Stanley into a lay-up then muscled in a follow shot. Brown darted down the baseline for a lay-up, and Allen swished 2 free throws for a 19-0 lead. Collin Ratliff made a free throw with 3 seconds left in the period to put the Leopards on the board.
Allen began the 2nd period with a driving lay-up then nailed a 3-point shot. Matthews powered in a follow, and Adams stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up and a 28-3 lead. Parker spun to the basket for a lay-up then pitched a pass out to Stanley who sank the 12-footer for a 32-5 lead.
Allen cashed in 2 foul shots, pulled up for a 10-footer then sent a pass to Brown for a lay-up. Parker converted a pass from junior Walter Bealon into a lay-up and a 40-8 halftime lead.
Parker delivered an assist to Matthews for a lay-up then dropped in a lay-up to begin the 3rd period. Matthews connected on 3 straight free throws then added a lay-up. Senior Travail Baldwin grabbed a long rebound and popped in an 8-footer to grow the lead to 53-17 at the quarter break.
Adams pumped in 2 foul shots, and Parker contributed a pair of lay-ups – one off of a Brown assist. Stanley and Bealon closed out the scoring with free throws.
“We did some good stuff tonight,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “We stayed patient against their 2-3 zone. I have learned as I get older not to get to picky, and I have enjoyed every one of these 5 wins.”
Pait also shared that Lakewood’s best returning player left in the off-season to go to a private school, and the Leopards have lost 3 other potential starters to injuries.
Parker led the Knights with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Matthews totaled 13 points and 7 rebounds. Allen collected 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Adams finished with 9 points, and Brown added 6 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
The Knights improved to 5-1 and will travel to East Columbus on December 17th.
Lakewood 1 7 9 3 – 20
West Bladen 19 21 13 8 – 61
Lakewood (20) – Tony Freeman, Trent Tanner, Cu’Wan Williams 6, Shamell Little 2, Trey White 7, Jamari Boykin 2, Zhymir Powell 2, Collin Ratliff 1.
WB (61) – Hezekiah Adams 9, Josiah Brown 6, Landon Stanley 5, Malachi Allen 11, Gary Parker 14, Walter Bealon 1, Javonta Matthews 13, Travail Baldwin 2.
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