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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
DUBLIN – West Bladen’s Lady Knights raced to an early 12-2 lead and never trailed en route to a 43-36 non-conference girls basketball victory over Union Wednesday night that was the Lady Knights first win of the season.
Senior Patience Parker raced for a lay-up off the opening tap, and sophmore Kasee Singletary stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up. Junior Conner Brisson turned a feed from senior Elizabeth Allbright into a lay-up, and Allbright banked in a 10-footer for an 8-0 Lady Knight lead.
After Nikya Owens’ lay-up put Union on the board with 4:36 left in the period, West Bladen sophmore Seniah Johnson cashed in two free throws then popped in a runner from the lane as West Bladen built a 14-6 lead at the quarter break.
Freshman Nyasia Ellison made a free throw, and junior Scjada Ellison converted a Parker pass into a lay-up and a 17-9 lead. Union closed to within 17-12, but Singletary hit a free throw, raced end-to-end for a lay-up off of a long rebound then dished a pass to Parker for a lay-up and a 22-12 lead.
Parker stole the ball and dropped in a lay-up, then sent a pass to Allbright for a lay-up that kept West Bladen ahead 26-20 at halftime.
Brisson popped in a 12-footer to begin the second half. Senior Mikayla Winebarger banked in a 6-footer, and senior Indiyah Williams canned a 12-footer for a 32-22 West lead. Senior Chasitty Lacey canned a pair of free throws that put the Lady Knights up 34-26 at the quarter break.
Allbright powered in a follow shot, and Lacey made a free throw to pad the West lead to 37-26 with 5:16 left to play. Union rallied to within 37-31, but junior Carley Dawson fired in 2 free throws, and Lacey hit one to keep the margin at 40-34 .
Latyra English drove for a lay-up that pulled Union to within 40-36 with 2:40 left on the clock. Allbright converted a free throw then threw in another basket to pad the final margin to 43-36.
Allbright led the Lady Knights with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Parker followed with 8 points and 3 steals. Singletary finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 6 steals. Nyasia Ellison pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds, and Brisson grabbed 8 rebounds. Dawson had 6 rebounds.
“We were tired tonight,” said West Bladen Coach Brian McCleney. “We played much better last night (a 48-42 loss to Red Springs). A lot of the mistakes we made were due to fatigue, but we preached to play through the ‘wall’ and I was proud of the girls that we didn’t let that wall of fatigue beat us.”
English led all scorers for Union with 14 points.
West Bladen, now 1-3 overall, will host East Columbus Friday night in a Three Rivers Conference game.
WEST BLADEN (43) – Conner Brisson 4, Chasitty Lacey 4, Indra Rodriguez, Mikayla Winebarger 2, Kasee Singletary 5, Lexie Corrothers, Carley Dawson 2, Patience Parker 8, Seniah Johnson 4, Indiyah Williams 2, Serenity Jeffries, Brigit Zuniga, Scjada Ellison 1, Elizabeth Allbright 9, Nyasia Ellison 2.
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