03/29/2024
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West Bladen High School LogoWest Bladen 43, Wallace-Rose Hill 41

Sophmore Laikyn Pait banked in the game-winning 3-point shot at the final buzzer to lift West Bladen to a 43-41 Four County Conference girls’ basketball victory over visiting Wallace-Rose Hill Saturday night.

Wallace-Rose Hill junior Justice Carr fired in a 3-point shot with 38 seconds left to tie the game 40-40. After a Lady Knight turnover, Carr sank a free throw to edge the Lady Bulldogs in front 41-40 with 16 seconds left.

West Bladen guard Miriam Mendoza who was under heavy pressure in the final seconds found Pait at the top of the key, and the Lady Knight sophomore barely launched the shot before the final horn.

“I hope I don’t lose that horseshoe anytime soon,” said a happy West Coach Pam Stephens. “It might not be the prettiest win, but we’ll take it. I am proud of these girls.”

West Bladen’s Breanna Jackson pumped in a 15-footer, and sophmore Akira Grimes dropped in a lay-up off of a Mendoza in-bounds pass to give the Lady Knights a 34-32 lead with 5:27 on the clock.

Two free throws by Carr and one by Moneika Barrett had put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 35-34 at the 4:41 mark.

Back came the Lady Knights as sophmore Alanna Ludlum tied the game with a foul shot, then banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to vault West Bladen back on top 38-35 with 3:30 left.

Sophmore Logan Autry made a free throw to push the West lead to 39-35 with 1:46 remaining. Barrett trimmed the margin to 39-37 with 2 foul shots at the 1:21 mark.

Senior Delasia Richardson converted 1 of 2 free throws for a 40-37 Lady Knight lead with 59 seconds on the clock.

Grimes bombed in a pair of 3-point shots and led the West Bladen scoring with 11 points. Pait connected on two 3-point shots and finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

Richardson just missed a double-double with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Jackson, a senior, grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds as the Lady Knights outrebounded the visitors 40-34. Ludlum and Mendoza added one 3-pointer each as West Bladen totaled six 3-point baskets in the game.

Carr supplied most of the Lady Bulldog offense with a game-high 20 points. Freshman Ellen Casteen who finished with 8 points nailed a 3-point shot to give Wallace an early 5-3 lead, but Grimes threw in a 14-footer to tie the game 5-5.

Grimes, Mendoza and Pait buried 3-point shots early in the second period to give the Lady Knights a 14-8 lead. Pait put back a rebound for a 16-10 lead, but Wallace answered with an 8-0 run to go up 18-16. Richardson beat the halftime buzzer with a follow-shot that tied the game 18-18.

A pair of Mendoza assists produced a pair of Richardson lay-ups that began the third quarter. Grimes drilled in another 3-pointer that put West up 25-18 with 5:25 left in the period.

Carr rallied the Lady Bulldogs to within 25-22, before Jackson popped in a 12-footer, and Grimes added a free throw for a 28-22 lead. Pait beat the Wallace press for a lay-up and a 30-25 lead with 1:02 left in quarter.

Another Casteen 3-pointer and an Elexis Wilson bank shot tied the game 30-30 at the third quarter break.

The Lady Knights improved to 6-2 in the league and 9-8 overall. West Bladen will travel to Wallace Tuesday night for a return match.

WB (43) – Miriam Mendoza 3, Breanna Jackson 4, Alanna Ludlum 5, Kassidy Anderson, Akira Grimes 11, Delasia Richardson 9, Jenna Dove, Tierra McKoy, Kaylee Stevens, Logan Autry 1, Laikyn Pait 10.

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