West Bladen boys roll past East Columbus 66-30

BLADENBORO — Senior Tylik McCall pumped in a game-high 17 points and West Bladen’s smothering defense carried the Knights to a 66-30 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over East Columbus on Tuesday night.

The Knights (3-1) will travel to Kill Devil Hills on Thursday for a 4 p.m. game against Currituck in the Good Guys vs Cancer Showcase at First Flight High School.

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“We played horribly last week against a very good team (Hoggard),” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “Practices were not good until yesterday when we had an amazing practice and that carried over into tonight. I challenged them to play hard and every one of them did.”

Jamari Adams-Peterson swished a corner 3-point shot for an early 3-2 West lead, but after Demarion Bryant’s free throw, Tyron Keaton’s lay-up gave the Gators a 7-4 lead.

The Knight defense shut out the Gators for the next 7:27 during a 22-0 run that opened up a 26-7 West lead. Carnell Lewis ignited the spurt with a runner and McCall drained a 3-pointer off Keonta Hill’s assist. Hill put back a rebound for an 11-7 lead.

Jackson Pait flipped in a 10-footer and Cyncere Jessup turned a Lewis assist into a lay-up. McCall buried another 3-ball and Pait banked in a running 8-footer for a 20-7 lead at the quarter break.

McCall popped in a turnaround 8-footer, and Bryant tossed in a 4-footer. Jessup scored a transition lay-up before K.J. Thurman snapped the Gator drought with a short bank shot.

Junior Kendell Lessane nailed a 3-point shot for West. Pait sank two free throws and Adams-Peterson netted one for a 32-14 lead. McCall bombed in 3-balls from the right corner and left wing and Blake Britt drilled in a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 41-16 halftime lead.

McCall collected six rebounds, three assists and three steals for West Bladen. Pait finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The Knights limited the Gators to 26 percent shooting, forced 22 turnovers and were credited with 20 steals in the game. West also held a 43-28 edge in rebounds.

East Columbus (30) — K.J. Thurman 8, Adrion Jenrette 5, Zay Hines 2, Tyron Keaton 4, Jaimeer Hudson 9, Rudy Jernigan 2.

West Bladen (66) — Jackson Pait 9, Demarion Bryant 3, Sayvion Covington, Tylik McCall 17, Kendell Lessane 5, Keonta Hill 6, Jaquan Lesane 7, Jamari Adams-Peterson 6, Carnell Lewis 2, Keon Whittington, Ethan Bourhill, Ahmbrie Cooper 1, Cyncere Jessup 4, Blake Britt 6, Justin Spaulding.