03/28/2024
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DUBLIN – Guard Leah Williams sparked a 7-3 closing run that pulled out a 50-45 Four County Conference girls basketball victory for Midway over West Bladen Tuesday night.

The Lady Raiders led 43-37 with 4:17 left to play, but senior Laikyn Pait sank 2 free throws, and senior Jerena Purdie hit one for West. Senior Akira Grimes nailed a 16-footer with 2:44 remaining to trim the Midway lead to 43-42.

Williams drove for a lay-up and sank 2 free throws to increase the margin to 47-42. Grimes drained a 3-point shot from the left corner to bring West within 48-45 with 4 seconds left.

J. J. Sankey topped the Midway scoring with 15 points. Teammate Logan Baggett connected on four 3-point shots for her 12 points, and Williams finished with 11 points.

Purdie led West Bladen with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Grimes followed with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Pait totaled 7 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. Senior Logan Autry tallied 7 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.

Purdie muscled in a pair of early lay-ups – one off of an Autry assist – and Pait flipped in a short jumper for an early 6-3 Lady Knight lead. Autry hit a free throw, and Grimes put back a rebound, but a Baggett 3-pointer gave Midway an 11-9 lead at the quarter break.

Pait turned a rebound into a 3-point play, Purdie hit a free throw and Autry made two foul shots as West Bladen went up 15-11 early in the second period. Another Bagget 3-ball and a pair of Sankey baskets rallied Midway in front 18-15.

Another Baggett 3-ball and baskets by Sankey and Williams widened the gap to 27-20. Autry drove for a lay-up, and Pait sent a pass into Purdie for a lay-up.

An Elizabeth Allbright lay-up, a Grimes free throw and Conner Brisson’s jump shot pulled the Lady Knights to within 29-25 at halftime.

Three-balls by Williams and Baggett helped stretch the Midway lead to 40-31 in the third period. Pait canned a 15-footer, Grimes threw in a baseline jumper, and Autry hit a short jumper for the West Bladen points.

Purdie made a trio of free throws to begin the fourth quarter and converted a Pait assist into a lay-up that pulled the Lady Knights to within 43-37.

The Lady Knights finished with 22 turnovers and only made 14 of 27 free throws.

“Free throws, rebounds and turnovers,” said West Bladen Coach Rick Rhoda. “We had 15 turnovers in the first half. It’s hard to win with that many turnovers. If we had made our free throws it would have been a win.”

West Bladen is now 7-6 in the league and 11-12 overall. The Lady Knights will host rival East Bladen Thursday night.

WEST BLADEN (45) – Conner Brisson 2, Mikayla Winebarger, Patience Parker 2, Logan Autry 7, Indiyah Williams, Laikyn Pait 7, Jenna Dove, Elizabeth Allbright 2, Akira Grimes 10, Jerena Purdie 15.

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