WHITEVILLE – Senior E.J. McLeod drained a 3-point shot from the top of the key with 2 seconds left that lifted Whiteville to a 52-50 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over East Bladen Friday night.
East Bladen junior Zamar Lewis had powered in a lay-up off of an assist from junior Jacob Nixon with 24 seconds remaining that tied the score. A foul on the play resulted in Lewis connecting on the free throw that vaulted the Eagles ahead 50-49 before McLeod’s late heroics.
A 10-2 Eagle spurt in the 3rd quarter rallied the Eagles into their 1st lead of the game. Junior Malcolm Bolden started the run with 2 free throws, and Lewis dropped in a lay-up off of a Nixon assist.
Bolden scooped up a turnover and dashed for a lay-up, then tacked on the foul shot to compete the 3-point play that tied the game 32-32. Nixon buried a 3-point shot from the left corner to put East ahead 35-32. A Christian Rorie lay-up pulled Whiteville to within 35-34 at the quarter break.
Rorie opened the final period with a 3-ball, but Nixon sprinted end-to-end for a lay-up and a 3-point play for a 38-37 East lead. McLeod responded with a 3-ball, and Zion Wilson and McLeod added lay-ups for a 44-39 Wolfpack lead.
Nixon sank 2 free throws, but a Wilson follow shot pushed the Whiteville lead to 47-41. Lewis and Yontee Dobson hit free throws, and Bolden cashed in 4 free throws to close the gap to 49-47 with 59 seconds on the clock.
Bolden topped all scorers with 22 points for the Eagles. Nixon pumped in 11 points, Lewis finished with 7 points and senior Nazire Smith followed with 6 points.
Wilson led Whiteville with 12 points. McLeod tallied 11, and Rorie finished with 10 points. Cade Little chipped in with 8 points.
Rebound baskets by Wilson and Amari Best sparked the Wolfpack to an early 8-1 lead. Bolden’s lay-up interrupted the spurt, but McLeod knocked down a 3-ball to up the count to 12-3. Bolden beat the Wolfpack press for a lay-up, canned 2 free throws and nailed a 3-point shot to slice the lead to 12-10 at the quarter break.
Nixon stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up to knot the score 12-12, but Wilson drove for a pair of lay-ups then sent a pass to Cade Little for a lay-up. Montrez Holland’s lay-up grew the Wolfpack lead to 21-12.
A Nixon assist led to a Smith lay-up, and Bolden turned a steal into a lay-up. The Whiteville lead stretched back to 25-16, but freshman Dominick Collins popped in 2 free throws. Bolden muscled in a rebound, and Smith stole the ball and flipped in a lay-up. A Collins free throw whittled the lead to 25-23. Kyan Ganus’ lay-up padded the halftime margin to 27-23.
A transition lay-up by Smith cut the Whiteville lead to 27-25 to begin the 3rd period.
The Eagles, now 2-3, will return to action next Friday night when they host South Columbus.
East Bladen 10 13 12 15 – 50
Whiteville 12 15 7 18 – 52
EAST BLADEN (50) – Malcolm Bolden 22, Dominick Collins 3, Jordan Mathis, Jacob Nixon 11, Cameron White, Nazire Smith 6, Malaki Monroe, Yontee Dobson 1, Zamar Lewis 7.
WHITEVILLE (52) –Amari Best 5, Christian Rorie 10, Zion Wilson 12, Cade Little 8, Kyan Ganus 1, Montrez Holland 5, Shaheem Shipman, E.J. McLeod 11, Bryon Powell.
About Author
