Contributed
WINSTON-SALEM – Northwood closed the 3rd period with an 11-2 run that snapped a 27-27 tie enroute to a 57-38 victory over West Bladen Thursday in the NCHSAA Class 2A Eastern Championship Game.
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights concluded their season with a 27-2 record, while Northwood (30-2) advances to Saturday’s title game against Reidsville (30-0) who defeated Bandys 79-50 in the western title game.
The Chargers led 24-21 at halftime, but Knight senior Chase Williams banked in a turn-around, put back a rebound then tied the game 27-27 on a hook shot off an assist from senior Hezekiah Adams.
Northwood’s Beau Harvey scored in transition at the 4:03 mark, senior Isaiah Blair drilled in a 3-pointer and 6-9 junior Chad Graves added a lay-up for a 34-27 lead.
Junior Tylik McCall flipped in a 1-hander for West, but a Graves dunk, and a transition lay-up from 6-5 junior guard Cameron Fowler upped the count to 38-29 at the quarter break.
Williams popped in a 15-footer from the corner to trim the margin to 38-31, but Northwood closed the game with a 19-7 run. Williams banged in a lay-up, and hooked in a 6-footer for West, and junior teammate Justin Spaulding nailed a 3-point shot.
Fowler led Northwood with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Blair finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds, and Graves collected 8 points and 7 rebounds.
Williams keyed the Knight attack with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot and 1 deflection. Adams drained a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 10 points, a game-high 4 steals, 5 deflections, 2 rebounds, 1 blocked shot and 1 assist.
McCall tallied 5 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound and 1 steal. Sophomore Kendell Lesane contributed 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Junior Jackson Pait had 2 assists and 1 steal, and Hunter Hester grabbed 2 rebounds. Junior Keonta Hill had 1 assist.
Northwood shot 57% from the field (21 of 37), while the Knights were 17 of 51 (33%). The Chargers had a 37-19 rebound advantage. Northwood connected on 11 of 18 free throws, while West was 0 for 1 from the foul line.
“They collapsed on Chase with the big guy and Fowler who was very impressive, and we didn’t execute well,” said Coach Pait. “We didn’t do a good job of getting our guys to the right spots.”
Lesane tossed in an 8-footer for West to start the game, McCall buried a corner 3-ball and Adams stole the ball and raced for a lay-up and a 7-2 lead.
After a pair of Blair baskets tied the game, Adams nailed a corner 3-ball for a 10-7 lead then stopped a 6-0 Charger run by firing in another corner 3-ball that knotted the score 13-13 at the quarter break.
“Hezi (Adams) is our energizer bunny,” stated Coach Pait. “He does what Hezi does. He just keeps going and going.”
Williams took a feed from Lesane and spun to the rim for a lay-up to begin the 2nd period. Pait hurled a long outlet pass to Adams for a lay-up, Lesane pulled up for a 6-footer and Pait found Williams inside for a lay-up and a 21-20 West lead. Blair pushed Northwood ahead 24-21 at halftime with 2 free throws and a lay-up.
In the media room after the game, it was the players turn to praise Coach Pait about how he embodies giving glory to Jesus.
“One thing about this team,” said Chase Williams. “We are going to give glory to God. Win or lose. God is the reason we were here.”
Hezi Adams added, “Coach Pait teaches us to be men in this world and to give God the glory.”
Tylik McCall said, “This is a good loss to learn from. We are going to put in the work and be better.”
WEST BLADEN (38) – Jackson Pait, Hezekiah Adams 10, Tylik McCall 5, Kendell Lesane 4, Keonta Hill, Conner Monroe, Demarion Bryant, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 16, Justin Spaulding 3, Hunter Hester.
NORTHWOOD (57) – Hayes Burleson 1, Isaiah Blair 14, Beau Harvey 6, Cam Fowler 19, Chad Graves 8, Josiah Brown 6, Camden Miller, Jaylen Scurlock 3, Reece Adams, Raje Torres, Finn Sullivan.
Here is the schedule for regional and state championships (seeding in parenthesis):
Monday, March 10
3A West girls: (1) Stuart Cramer 62, (3) North Lincoln 38
3A East boys: (2) Southern SES 78, (1) Swansboro 65
3A East girls: (2) Western Alamance 64, (1) Terry Sanford 48
3A West boys: (11) Ben L. Smith 69, (12) Hunter Huss 57
Tuesday, March 11
1A West boys: (5) Corvian Community 75, (3) Queens Grant 44
1A East girls: (7) East Bladen 77, (1) Perquimans 63
1A East boys: (2) Southern Wake 70, (1) Washington County 56
1A West girls: (2) Cherokee 65, (1) Bishop McGuinness 61
Wednesday, March 12
4A West boys: (3) North Mecklenburg 64, (13) Chambers 56
4A East boys: (1) New Hanover 83, (3) Sanderson 55
4A East girls: (2) Wakefield 31, (1) Wilmington Hoggard 23
4A West girls: (2) Lake Norman 68, (1) McDowell 52
Thursday, March 13
2A East girls: (12) Southeast Alamance 48, (2) Seaforth 45
2A East boys: (3) Northwood 57, (4) West Bladen 38
2A West girls: (1) North Wilkes 60, (2) East Burke 36
2A West boys: (1) Reidsville 79, (15) Bandys 50
Friday, March 14
1A boys championship: (2) Southern Wake vs. (5) Corvian Community, 1:05 p.m.
1A girls championship: (7) East Bladen vs. (2) Cherokee, 3:35 p.m.
3A girls championship: (1) Stuart Cramer vs. (2) Western Alamance, 6:05 p.m.
3A boys championship: (2) Southern SES vs. (11) Ben L. Smith, 8:35 p.m.
Saturday, March 15
4A girls championship: (2) Wakefield vs. (2) Lake Norman, 12:05 p.m.
4A boys championship: (3) North Mecklenburg vs. (1) New Hanover, 2:35 p.m.
2A girls championship: (12) Southeast Alamance vs. (1) North Wilkes, 5:05 p.m.
2A boys championship: (3) Northwood vs. (1) Reidsville, 7:35 p.m.
Author: Sonny Jones
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