03/29/2024
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WHITEVILLE – Junior Kasee Singletary made 4 free throws in the final 35 seconds to lift West Bladen to a 52-50 Three Rivers Conference girls basketball victory over Whiteville Tuesday night.

The Lady Knights trailed 47-40 with 2:44 remaining, before senior Carley Dawson dropped in 3 straight lay-ups – two off of assists from junior Mikayla Meadows and one off a long pass from Singletary.

Singletary threw in a runner to tie the game 48-48 with 55 seconds left, then after a Whiteville basket, Singletary cashed in two free throws to tie the game 50-50.

After Dawson grabbed her second big defensive rebound in the final minute, Singletary hit the game-winning free throw with 19 seconds on the clock. Junior Lexie Corrothers then stole the ball to help seal the victory.

“It was a total team effort,” said Lady Knight Coach Brian McCleney. “The kids played great and hit some big free throws late. Kasee, Lexie and Carley all made big plays down the stretch.”

Singletary sparked the Lady Knight offense with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Corrothers posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dawson finished with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Meadows chipped in with 6 points and 6 rebounds. Junior Seniah Johnson added 4 points, and senior Scjada Ellison grabbed 9 rebounds. Freshman Haley George collected 3 rebounds and 2 steals.

An Ellison free throw and a Singletary steal and lay-up staked West Bladen to an early 3-0 lead, before Whiteville answered with a 12-0 run to take a 12-3 lead.

Corrothers made a free throw, and Dawson sank 2 free throws and banked in a 6-footer to bring West to within 12-8 at the quarter break.

Another Whiteville spurt padded the home team’s lead to 22-12, but Johnson turned a Singletary assist into a lay-up. Corrothers raced end-to-end for a lay-up then beat the buzzer with another runner to slice the halftime lead to 24-18 at halftime.

“I told the girls that a lot of times teams come into this building and just the (Whiteville) reputation beats them,” said Coach McCleney. “I think some of that happened to us in the first half. We just kept playing and gutted it out in the second half.”

Singletary beat the Whiteville press twice for lay-ups to begin the second half, and Meadows put back a rebound. Singletary turned a steal into a lay-up that tied the game 26-26.

Marquasia Smith’s 3-point shot vaulted Whiteville ahead, but Meadows scored inside, Ellison put back a rebound and Singletary hit a free throw and drove for a lay-up. Corrothers raced for a lay-up and a 34-32 West lead.

Freshman Trinity Smith drilled in a 3-pointer for a 36-34 Lady Wolfpack lead at the quarter break. Corrothers raced to the basket for a trio of lay-ups that kept West Bladen within 43-40.

Marquasia Smith topped the Whiteville scoring with 18 points. Trinity Smith finished with 13 points, and sophmore I’reona Johnson netted 9 points.

The Lady Knights take a perfect 4-0 TRC record into the Christmas break and are 7-2 overall.

West Bladen  8  10  16  18 – 52
Whiteville    12  12   12  14 – 50

WEST BLADEN (52) – Haley George, Tatiana Hunt, Kasee Singletary 16, Lexie Corrothers 15, Carley Dawson 8, Seniah Johnson 4, Mikayla Meadows 6, Scjada Ellison 3, Jessica Labra.

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