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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
DUBLIN – West Bladen’s defense keyed a 21-6 second quarter blitz that propelled the Knights to a 69-54 boys basketball victory over Heide Trask Tuesday night in the opening of the Four County Conference Tournament.
“We played man defense the way that we have played it here the last 5 years,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “The kids played hard and everybody got after it. This was a good win for us.”
Seven different Trask Titans scored in the opening period as the visitors edged ahead 14-12. Knight senior Sayaun Dent sank 4 of 5 free throws and a basket, and senior Kalvin Page and juniors Jonathan Robinson and Scott Bowen added a basket each to keep the Knights close.
Senior John Bowen nailed a 3-point shot, a trio of 2-point shots and a free throw for 10 points to lead the Knight second-quarter rally. Junior Jimmy Williams drained a 3-point shot and another basket, Dent dropped in 2 baskets and Scott Bowen chipped in with a basket as the Knights took a 33-20 halftime lead.
John Bowen lit up the scoreboard with 5 baskets and 2 free throws in the third quarter as the Knight lead grew to 51-37. Scott Bowen pumped in 2 baskets, and Dent made one.
Scott Bowen and Page threw in baskets to start the final period, and the Knight lead grew to 57-39 on sophmore Drew Harris’ lay-up with 5:08 left to play.
Trask responded with an 8-0 run, but free throws by Page and Robinson kept West up 59-49 with 3:18 on the clock. Williams cashed in 2 free throws, and Page drove for a lay-up and a 63-49 lead with 2:44 remaining.
Page hit a free throw, John Bowen slammed in a dunk, and Page drove for another lay-up and tacked on a free throw for a 69-51 lead.
John Bowen topped all scorers with 24 points, and Dent finished with 12 points. Page followed with 11 points, and Scott Bowen posted a career-high 10 points. Williams totaled 7 points.
“Sayaun hit some big shots for us early, and John Bowen had a big game,” said Coach Pait. “Scott Bowen and Gerardo Reyes had huge games for us and gave us a big lift. Jonathan (Robinson) played hard but couldn’t get the ball to go in for him.”
B. J. Jordan led Trask with 15 points, and Jajuan Carr followed with 14 points.
The Knights improved to 17-8 with the win and will play East Bladen Thursday night at 7:30 in the tourney semi-finals at Pender High.
WEST BLADEN (69) – Kalvin Page 11, Scott Bowen 10, Jimmy Williams 7, Keshawn Lewis, Drew Harris 2, Sayaun Dent 12, Geraldo Reyes, Jonathan Robinson 3, John Bowen 24.
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