03/28/2024
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Shades of Lorenzo Charles – just like N. C. State’s 1983 national championship winning shot, Elizabethtown’s Cody Butler caught a long air ball and put it in the basket just ahead of the final buzzer to give the Cougars a 39-37 Bladen Five Middle School Conference victory over visiting Bladenboro Tuesday night.

Bladenboro’s Da’Shawn Hines banked in a 3-point shot from the right wing with 8 seconds left to play that tied the game 37-37. The Cougars quickly moved to mid-court where a final heave fell short and into the arms of Butler.

Tray Ballard drove for a lay-up to give Bladenboro an early 2-0 lead, but the Cougars responded with 12 unanswered points. Jordan Robinson drilled a pair of 3-point shots to put Elizabethtown up 6-2.

Tyrek Smith dropped in a transition lay-up, then was awarded a basket on a goal-tending call.  Zarion Brown banked in an 8-footer to stretch the Cougar lead to 12-2. Ballard and teammate Shy’Ron Adams sank free throws to whittle the margin to 12-4 at the quarter break.

Bladenboro responded with a 17-3 second-quarter blitz. Ballard hit a free throw, and Adams turned a Hines assist into a lay-up. Adams stole the ball and raced for a lay-up that sliced the Cougar lead to 12-9.

Majuan McKoy drained a 3-pointer to up the count to 15-9. Ballard made a Bulldog free throw, and Hines turned an Adams assist into a lay-up. Hines repaid the favor with a pass that set up an Adams lay-up.

Adams knocked down 2 free throws to vault the Bulldogs in front 16-15. Teammate Logan West buried a 3-point shot, and free throws by Hines and Adams gave Bladenboro a 21-15 halftime lead.

Majuan McKoy started the second half with a pair of driving baskets, and Robinson tied the game 21-21 with a transition lay-up.

Austin Smith made a free throw to edge the Bulldogs ahead 22-21. Ballard drove for a lay-up, and Hines canned a free throw.

Adams dropped in a lay-up off of a West assist, but Robinson stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up that trimmed the Bladenboro lead to 27-23.

Hines scooted end-to-end for a Bulldog lay-up, Ballard made a free throw and another West assist resulted in an Austin Smith lay-up and a 32-23 Bladenboro lead at the quarter break.

Robinson who led all scorers with 17 points ignited a Cougar rally by bombing in a 3-point shot then coming up with a pair of steals and dashing down the court for a pair of lay-ups that closed the gap to 32-30.

Austin Smith scored a lay-up in transition for the Bulldogs, but Allen Owens tossed in a 6-footer for the Cougars. Majuan McKoy turned a steal into a lay-up and a 3-point play that edged Elizabethtown ahead 35-34 with 2:08 on the clock.

A Robinson feed produced another Majuan McKoy lay-up and a 37-34 lead with 1:48 left to play.

Majuan McKoy posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Robinson collected 4 steals and 3 rebounds. Butler and Brown finished with 4 rebounds each,

Adams led the Bulldogs with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 8 steals. Hines followed with 9 points and 3 rebounds. Ballard finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Austin Smith totaled 5 points and 5 rebounds, and West grabbed 4 rebounds.

Elizabethtown improved to 6-1 with the victory and will host Clarkton Thursday to decide first place in the league. Bladenboro is now 4-3 and will travel to East Arcadia today (Wednesday) for a 4 p.m. game.

B’bro (37) – Da’Shawn Hines 9, Logan West 3, Austin Smith 5, Tray Ballard 8, Shy’Ron Adams 12, Nolan Bryant, Jake Butler, Tyrese Retamar, Joshua Lewis, J. P. Russ, Jonathan Rojas, Carlos Ortiz.

Elizabethtown (39) – Majuan McKoy 12, Jordan Robinson 17, Allen Owens 2, Nijeah McKoy, Tyrek Smith 4, Cory McKoy, Cody Butler 2, Zachary Butler, Rasean McKoy, Fred Wooten, JaQuez McKoy, Drew Sholar, Victor Garcia, Zarion Brown 2.

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