BLADENBORO – Sophomore Malachi Allen and senior Josiah Brown combined for 28 points to lead West Bladen to a 64-41 Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball victory over Clinton Tuesday night.
Allen nailed four 3-point shots and finished with a game-high 17 points and 6 rebounds. Brown contributed 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists. Freshman Hezekiah Adams tallied 8 points and 2 steals. Junior Gary Parker banged in 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Senior Javonta Matthews totaled 8 points and 4 rebounds. Sophomore Landon Stanley netted 6 points, and freshman Chase Williams pulled down 4 rebounds for the Knights.
The Dark Horses grabbed an early 7-2 lead, before Allen drilled in a corner 3-ball. Clinton’s Landen Pearson answered with a 3-ball, but the Knights closed the quarter with an 11-0 run.
Brown raced for a transition lay-up, and Parker powered in a lay-in and tacked on a free throw to tie the score 10-10. Matthews flipped in a turn-around, Allen sprinted end-to-end for a lay-up and Brown and senior Travail Baldwin sank free throws for a 16-10 Knight lead at the quarter break.
“I thought our energy was poor to start the game, but it was good after that,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “Plus we hadn’t practiced in 9 days because the kids weren’t in school.”
Adams flew down the baseline for a lay-up, and Allen bombed in a 3-ball. Adams scored another lay-up off of a turnover. A Brown assist led to a Stanley bank shot then Stanley tossed in a runner for a 27-15 lead. Brown delivered an assist to Adams for a lay-up then dropped in a lay-up of his own before 2 Adams free throws upped the count to 33-17. West led 33-21 at halftime.
Matthews began the 2nd half with a lay-up, Allen knocked down another 3-ball, and Brown pulled up for a 12-footer. An Adams assist resulted in a Parker lay-up, before Parker and Allen buried 3-point shots. Matthews stole the ball and slammed in a dunk then ended the quarter with 2 free throws that pushed the West lead to 52-30.
Williams muscled in a follow shot to start the final period. Brown sank 4 free throws, Stanley pumped in 2 free throws, and Walter Bealon connected on a 3-point shot to close out the scoring.
“I really like this group,” said Pait about his team. “We blew big leads against East Bladen and Whiteville and should have won those games. We had a chance to win at Fairmont too. These kids have been upbeat at practice and really into it. No moping or hanging their heads. One thing I have learned is to enjoy everyone of these wins.”
Nick Smith led Clinton with 9 points, and Pearson and B. J. Bennett followed with 8 points each.
The Knights, now 1-3 in the SAC-7 and 8-7 overall, will host St. Pauls Thursday at 6 p.m.
Clinton 10 11 9 11 – 41
West Bladen 16 17 19 12 – 64
Clinton (41) – Zicareian McNeil 7, Landen Pearson 8, Nick Smith 9, Gregory Coxum 2, Bryan Edwards 2, B. J. Bennett 8, Malachi Owens 3, Johnathon Blackmon 2.
West Bladen (64) – Hezekiah Adams 8, Josiah Brown 11, Landon Stanley 6, Malachi Allen 17, Keshawn Ballard, Gary Parker 8, Walter Bealon 3, Javonta Matthews 8, Chase Williams 2, Travail Baldwin 1.
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