NAKINA – Bladenboro’s Bulldogs clinched the Waccamaw Middle School Conference’s A League Championship Wednesday with a 54-24 boys’ basketball victory over Nakina.
Coach Joe Gore’s squad improved to 9-0 and will close out regular season play Thursday with a Homecoming game against Tabor City.
Thirteen different Bulldogs scored in the game. Jackson Pait topped all scorers with 9 points, and Sincere McKinley followed with 8 points for the winners. Keonta Hill pumped in 6 points, and Elijah McCollum finished with 5 points. Tylik McCall, Jonah Bryan and Aldyn Ross scored 4 points each.
Caden McRae led Nakina with 7 points, and Cody Mitchell followed with 5 points.
McKinley buried a pair of 3-point shots for the Bulldogs to start the game. Ross sank 2 free throws and a basket, and Hill popped in 2 baskets. McCollum tossed in a basket and a free throw for a 17-7 Bladenboro lead.
Pait nailed a 3-point shot and another basket to begin the 2nd period. Joshua Martin drilled in a 3-point shot, and Justin Spaulding and McCall popped in baskets as the Bulldog halftime lead grew to 29-15.
Bryan netted a pair Bulldog baskets to start the 3rd quarter. McCollum, Kendell Lesane, Weston Hilburn and Robert McKoy flipped in a basket each, and Lesane tacked on a free throw for a 42-20 lead.
Pait rang up 2 more baskets in the final period, and McKinley, Ashton Davis, McCall and Hill hurled in a basket each.
Bladenboro 17 12 13 12 –54
Nakina 7 8 5 4 – 24
BLADENBORO (54) – Jackson Pait 9, Kendell Lesane 3, Tylik McCall 4, Justin Spaulding 2, Gavin Elks, Elijah McCollum 5, Jonah Bryan 4, Hunter Hester, Weston Hilburn 2, Keonta Hill 6, Aldyn Ross 4, Blake Britt, Joshua Martin 3, Sincere McKinley 8, Robert McKoy 2, Ashton Davis 2.
NAKINA (24) –Case Simmons 2, Drake Ward 3, Caden McRae 7, Cody Mitchell 5, Tervon Strickland, Isaiah Gore, Cole Chestnutt, Luke Nance 4, Chris Dixon 1, Landon Hathaway, Conner Edwards, Curtis Lovin 2.