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By John Clark

BLADENBORO – West Bladen posted a win last Friday night at Whiteville, but neither the Knights nor Coach Travis Pait were happy with the way they played.

Tuesday night the Knights redeemed themselves by exploding to leads of 24-4 and 42-8 enroute to a 63-25 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over South Columbus.

“We had a bad taste in our mouth from Friday night,” said Coach Pait. “We had some guys sick and we kind of used that as a crutch. The kids played unbelievably hard tonight. Chase Williams played like Chase Williams. And we wanted to come out and show South the respect they deserve by playing hard from the start.”

Williams, a 6-7 junior, sophomore Tylik McCall and junior Hezekiah Adams shared scoring honors with 14 points each. Sophomore Jackson Pait was right behind them with 13 points. Williams grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double-double and added 3 assists, 2 blocked shots and 2 steals.

Adams finished with 6 steals, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. McCall pulled down 7 rebounds and added 3 steals and 2 assists. Pait distributed 2 assists. Senior Andre Moore dished out 3 assists and had 3 rebounds.

Williams swished a 15-footer to start the game, McCall flipped in a baseline follow and Adams scored a transition lay-up. Moore drained a corner 3-ball, and McCall and Adams both turned steals into lay-ups. Adams drilled in a 3-pointer for a 16-2 lead.

Adams converted a Williams assist into a lay-up. A McCall lay-up turned into a 3-point play, and Pait knocked down a deep 3-pointer to boost the lead to 24-4 at the quarter break.

Junior Conner Monroe buried a 3-pointer to begin the 2nd period. Williams spun to the rim for a lay-up and a 3-point play, Pait arched in a baseline fadeaway. Williams delivered an assist to Adams for a lay-up then turned another lay-up into a 3-point play.

Junior Ty’leak Ballard muscled in a short jumper off a Moore assist, and Pait cashed in 3 free throws to grow the lead to 42-8 at intermission.

Adams converted a steal into a lay-up to start the 3rd quarter. McCall connected on a short jumper, and Adams made a free throw then sent a pass to Williams who slammed in a transition dunk. Williams turned a Moore assist into a lay-up. McCall pumped in an elbow jumper and 2 free throws, and Ballard powered in a follow for a 57-18 lead.

Pait toed the 3-point line on a long 2-point basket then fired in the 3-point basket that pushed the lead to 62-22 and started the mercy rule clock. McCall netted a free throw for the final Knight point.

Freshman Khalil Morgan topped the Stallions scoring list with 10 points.

The Knights claimed their 4th straight win and improved to 6-1. West Bladen will open their own Bladen Offroad Christmas Tournament Thursday, December 28th at 8 p.m. against Dillon Christian. First round games start at 2 p.m. with St. Pauls vs. Scotland then Whiteville vs. North Brunswick and Lumberton vs. West Columbus at 6 p.m.

South Columbus 4 4 12 5 — 25
West Bladen 24 18 15 6 — 63

South Columbus (25) — Andrew Todd 2, Monte Gore, Rovaughn Graham 4, B. J. McCoy, Nasir Hutchinson 1, Kam Johnson 2, Khalil Morgan 10, A. J. Scott 4, LaQuintin Floyd, Cole Edge 2.

West Bladen (63) — Jackson Pait 13, Hezekiah Adams 14, Tylik McCall 14, Conner Monroe 3, Andre Moore 3, Cornelius Esters, Donovan Tubbs, Ty’Leak Ballard 2, Chase Williams 14.