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By John Clark

WILMINGTON – Wilmington Hoggard closed the game with a 19-2 run and defeated West Bladen 49-42 Thursday night in a non-conference boys’ basketball game.

Hoggard carried a 30-28 lead into the final period before junior Chase Williams turned a feed from sophomore Tylik McCall into a 3-point play and a 31-30 Knight lead. Porter Morgan banked in a runner to edge the Vikings back on top 32-31.

Williams banked in a 6-footer then dunked a follow shot for a 35-32 West lead. Sophomore Jackson Pait popped in a 10-footer behind a Williams screen then nailed a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 40-32 with 3:52 remaining.

Hunter McGrath ignited the Viking rally with a 3-point bomb. Williams sank a free throw for West, but junior Flanner Patterson dropped in a lay-up, and McGrath threw in another 3-ball to slice the West lead to 41-40 at the 1:59 mark.

After a Knight turnover, sophomore Will Seward drove for a lay-up that edged Hoggard ahead 42-41 with 1:04 left. Hoggard’s Jaylen Herring and Williams traded free throws for a 43-42 Viking lead with 25 seconds on the clock. McGrath, Herring and Seward made 2 foul shots each to stretch the final margin to 49-42.

McGrath knocked down four 3-point shots and led Hoggard with 14 points. Seward had a pair of breakaway dunks off of turnovers and finished with 10 points. Patterson followed with 9 points.

Williams, a 6-7 center, posted a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds even though he played less than 4 minutes in the 1st half and only 21 minutes in the game due to some controversial foul calls. Williams also delivered 2 assists.

Pait posted 9 points and blocked 2 shots, and Adams filled up the stat columns with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists. Senior Andre Moore bombed in a pair of 3-balls for 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. McCall chipped in with 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and junior Ty’leak Ballard pulled down 3 rebounds.

The Knights only made only 2 of their final 6 free throws, while Hoggard was 7 for 8 at the line in the final period. For the game the Vikings hit 12 of 17 free throws, while West was 8 for 15 at the line. West was also plagued by 16 turnovers in the game.

“Free throws and 2 bad mistakes on defense,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait about the outcome.

Williams put back a rebound, and Pait swished a pair of free throws to start the game for West. Moore splashed in a 3-ball for a 7-2 lead, and an Adams follow shot kept the margin at 9-5. Hoggard tied it on Herring’s 12-footer, but a Williams’ jump-hook kept West even 11-11 at the quarter break.

Adams sank 3 of 4 free throws to account for all the West points in the 2nd quarter as the Vikings built a 22-14 halftime lead.

McCall and Moore cashed in 3-point shots to start the 2nd half, and McCall drilled a 16-footer to tie the game 22-22. Seward made 2 free throws for Hoggard, but Pait popped in a 14-footer, and Williams flushed a dunk for a 26-24 Knight lead with 2:39 on the clock.

A McGrath 3-ball and a Herring steal and lay-up vaulted the Vikings back on top 30-26, before Adams drove for a lay-up that whittled the margin to 30-28.

West Bladen, now 2-1, will visit East Bladen Tuesday night, while Hoggard (2-0) will travel to Jacksonville Wednesday night.

West Bladen 11 3 14 14 — 42
Hoggard 11 11 8 19 — 49

West Bladen (42) – Jackson Pait 9, Hezekiah Adams 7, Tylik McCall 5, Kendell Lessane, Andre Moore 6, Cornelius Esters, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 15.

Hoggard (49) – Teague Roach, Porter Morgan 2, Hunter McGrath 14, Jaylen Herring 7, Reid Lisk, Nate Sweeney, Flanner Patterson 9, Tayjuan Brunson, Tiyeon Wilson 2, Will Seward 10, Marquese Higgins 3, Jack Rees 2.