By John Clark
BLADENBORO — West Bladen’s Knights claimed a share of the Southeastern Athletic Conference championship for the 2nd consecutive year Friday night by virtue of a 70-35 boys’ basketball victory over Red Springs in front of a packed house at ‘The Castle.’
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights are co-champions along with Fairmont who beat Clinton 66-36 Friday night. Both teams own 9-1 league records. West Bladen also improved to 20-2 on the season overall. The Knights receive a 1st round bye in the SAC tournament and will play the Midway/Clinton winner Wednesday at Fairmont.
Midway vaulted to 3rd place by virtue of a trio of forfeit wins – 2 over Red Springs and 1 over St. Pauls. The forfeits were all for playing a player too many quarters in the jayvee and varsity games on the same night.
Things started slowly for the Knights Friday night as lay-ups by juniors Chase Williams and Hezekiah Adams accounted for all of the West points in the first 7:33 of play. Red Springs’ Isaiah Locklear threw in a 3-pointer that edged the visitors ahead 5-4.
But suddenly the dam broke and the cold spell was over. Sophomore Jackson Pait buried a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Williams beat the buzzer swishing a 3-ball while falling out of bounds in the right corner to put the Knights up 10-5 at the break.
Pait opened the 2nd period by draining a 3-ball from the right wing then bombing in a long one from the volleyball line. Adams delivered an assist to senior Andre Moore for a short bank shot and an 18-5 lead, before the Red Devils’ Khalif Brown canned a 12-footer to halt the 14-0 Knight run.
Moore banked in a 3-ball from the right side then fired in another 3-ball from the corner. Williams hit a free throw, before Pait splashed in a long 3-ball from the left wing that grew the lead to 28-7. Pait knocked down his 5th 3-ball of the half, and sophomore Tylik McCall beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-ball from the right wing that boosted the lead to 34-11.
After shooting 2-for 20 from 3-point range Tuesday night at Fairmont, the Knights had blistered the nets with 9 3-pointers in just 8:27 of game time.
“I told the guys to just keep shooting,” said Coach Pait. “I think maybe they were feeling a little bit of pressure from the long winning streak Tuesday, but I told them to move the ball and shoot it. If it is a good shot take it. All of these guys are capable of making shots.”
The crowd was already tuned up by the hot shooting, but Williams began the 2nd half by hammering in a dunk off a feed from Moore. “That is when I noticed the place was full,” said Coach Pait. “The roar on Chase’s dunk.”
Williams added a free throw then split 2 defenders for a lay-up. McCall drilled in another 3-ball, Williams turned a Moore assist into a lay-up then flipped in an underhand lay-up. Adams converted a turnover into a lay-up, and freshman Kendell Lessane drove for a pair of lay-ups. McCall pulled up for a 16-footer to stretch the lead to 54-21 at the 3rd quarter break.
Adams sank 2 free throws to start the final quarter. Lessane dodged a defender with an acrobatic follow shot. Williams converted a Pait assist into a lay-up, and senior Cornelius Esters cashed in a pair of technical free throws. Pait made a free throw, Lessane and Adams drove for lay-ups, and junior Donovan Tubbs cracked the scoring column with a free throw.
Williams led the Knights with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Pait connected on 5 of his 12 3-point shots for 16 points and collected 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Lessane dropped in 10 points. Moore celebrated his ‘Senior Night’ with 8 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Adams contributed 8 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. McCall racked up 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
The Knights shot 47% from the field – 33% from 3-point range (10-for-30) and 64% from 2-point range (16-for-25). West Bladen held a 30-25 edge on the boards and forced 14 turnovers.
“I thought we guarded well tonight,” added Coach Pait. “I thought we just played basketball.”
Moore and Esters were honored in ‘Senior Night’ festivities before the game.
Red Springs 5 6 10 14 — 35
West Bladen 10 24 20 16 — 70
Red Springs (35) — Darren Wilkins 2, Justice McMillian, Khalif Brown 4, Jasiah Williams, Curtis Wilson 5, Makhi Arthur 19, Isaiah Locklear 3, Sameer Murray, Timothy Hammonds 2, George Porter.
West Bladen (70) — Jackson Pait 16, Hezekiah Adams 8, Tylik McCall 8, Kendell Lessane 10, Andre Moore 8, Cornelius Esters 2, Donovan Tubbs 1, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 17.
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