WHITEVILLE — D.J. Shipman’s follow-up of his own missed free throw in the closing seconds clinched a 42-38 Waccamaw Conference boys’ basketball victory for Whiteville over East Bladen Friday night.
The Eagles trailed 33-24 entering the final period, but senior Lee Barnes nailed a 3-point shot and sophomore Keyshawn Kemp dropped in a lay-up then buried a 3-point shot to trim the Wolfpack lead to 35-32 at the 5:04 mark.
Pull-up jumpers from Amari Best and Will Fisher stretched the Whiteville lead to 39-32 with 2:39 left, but Kemp fired in a pair of 3-point shots from the left corner to close the gap to 40-38 with 1:51 on the clock.
The teams traded 2 turnovers each, and East had to commit 3 fouls to put Whiteville on the foulline. Eagle junior Dominick Collins blocked a Whiteville lay-in attempt but Shipman grabbed the deflection and was fouled with 5 seconds remaining. Shipman missed both free throws, but snatched the rebound and put it in for the final 4-point margin.
Kemp sparked the East attack with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Barnes connected on four 3-point shots and finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds. Junior Kewone Maynor grabbed 9 rebounds, and senior Rodney Lacewell and sophomore Ronnie Covington corralled 3 rebounds each.
Collins, the East point guard, was plagued by foul trouble throughout the game picking up his 3rd 2:29 before halftime and his 4th with 1:18 left in the 3rd period.
Collins banked in a 10-footer then delivered an assist to Kemp for a lay-up to start the game. Junior Chace Butler scored a transition lay-up, and Barnes knocked down a 3-ball. Maynor tossed in a reverse lay-up, and senior Peyton Tatum hit a free throw, but Brycen Edwards bombed in a pair of 3-balls to keep Whiteville within 12-9.
Butler sent an assist to Kemp for a lay-up, and Barnes stretched the lead to 17-9 with a 3-pointer from the corner. East didn’t score for the final 5:11 of the half, and Edwards threw in another 3-ball and a follow shot to tie the game 17-17 at halftime.
Whiteville’s Fisher and Barnes traded 3-point bombs to begin the 2nd half. Best drove for a pair of lay-ups, and Edwards connected on another 3-ball for a 27-20 Wolfpack lead. A Barnes free throw and a reverse lay-up by Covington trimmed the margin to 29-24, but Shipman drove for a 3-point play then later added a foul shot for a 33-24 lead at the break.
Edwards led the Whiteville scoring with 14 points. Fisher followed with 9 points and Best totaled 8 points. Shipman added 6.
East Bladen, now 3-2 in league play and 8-6 overall, will travel to South Columbus Thursday night. Whiteville, now 2-2 and 5-9 overall, will visit South Columbus Tuesday night.
East Bladen 12 5 7 14 — 38
Whiteville 9 8 16 9 — 42
East Bladen (38) — Dominick Collins 2, Chace Butler 2, Lee Barnes 13, Ronnie Covington 2, Kewone Maynor 2, Peyton Tatum 1, Keyshawn Kemp 16, Rodney Lacewell.
Whiteville (42) — Justin Ward 1, Will Fisher 9, Brycen Edwards 14, Amari Best 8, Bishop Herring 2, D. J. Shipman 6, Damarion Hall 2, Zay’shaun Bennett.
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