Pait, McCall lead West Bladen over East Bladen 79-45

Seniors Jackson Pait and Tylik McCall blistered the nets with 35 points in the first half as West Bladen raced to a 58-25 lead en route to a 79-45 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over East Bladen on Tuesday night.

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights improved to 5-2 and will travel to perennial power Farmville Central on Friday. East Bladen, 0-5, will visit South Columbus on Wednesday.

The win was the sixth straight in the series for West Bladen after East Bladen had won the previous eight meetings.

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Pait poured in 21 of his game-high 29 points before halftime and collected three assists and three steals. McCall racked up 14 of his 17 points in the opening half and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Jamari Adams-Peterson finished with 11 points and three rebounds.

“We are getting better and faster,” Travis Pait said. “We did a good job turning them over (23 East turnovers in the 1st half) and a good job on our defensive rotations.”

The Knights were without junior Kendell Lessane (illness). “Kendell’s a big piece of our team and Shyron (Thompson) and Cyncere (Jessup) did a great job filling in,” noted Coach Pait. “The young guys are getting better.”

Guard Tevin McLean topped the Eagles scoring with 16 points. Teammate Jaden Lewis pumped in 11 points, and Za’Quan Gray followed with nine points and seven rebounds. Keyshawn Kemp snatched a game-high nine rebounds and had five points for East.

Pait sank two free throws, then pulled up for a 12-footer, and Carnell Lewis canned two free throws for an early 6-2 West lead. McLean kept East close with a lay-up and 2 free throws, and Gray dropped in 2 buckets.

Lesane stole the ball and darted for a lay-up, and Pait made a pair of foul shots before McCall banked in a runner then buried a 3-ball for a 15-8 Knight lead. Pait netted a free throw and drove for a lay-up before Carnell Lewis converted a steal into a lay-up and a 20-10 lead.

Bryant dropped in 2 free throws and was awarded a basket on a goaltending call. Pait flipped in a runner, and McCall converted a turnover into a basket. Dashon Campbell scored on a lay-up, and McLean drained a 3-ball and a lay-up. Pait’s fade-away 17-footer put West up 30-17 at the quarter break.

Pait stole the ball and sent an assist to Bryant for a lay-up. Hill delivered an assist to Blake Britt for a lay-up. Pait banked in a runner, and Jessup banged in a rebound to up the count to 38-19.

McCall swished another 3-ball, and Pait hurled a full-court pass to Jessup for a lay-up then burnt the nets with a pair of 25-foot 3-pointers. McLean’s 3-point play kept East within 49-23.

McCall closed the half with a lay-up, a turn-around 15-footer, 2 free throws and a 3-point bomb that grew the lead to 58-25 after a Kemp basket for East.

Kemp opened the 2nd half with a short bank shot and a lay-up, but McCall and Pait answered with 3-point baskets that stretched the margin to 64-29 and began the mercy-rule running clock.

WEST BLADEN (79) — Jackson Pait 29, Damarion Bryant 4, Sayvion Covington, Tylik McCall 17, Keonta Hill 2, Jaquan Lesane 4, Jamari Adams-Peterson 11, Carnell Lewis 4, Keon Whittington, Ethan Bourhill 2, Ahmbrie Cooper, Cyncere Jessup 4, Blake Britt 2, Justin Spaulding, Shyron Thompson.

EAST BLADEN (45) — Keyshawn Kemp 5, Tevin McLean 16, Khalil McKoy, John Monroe, Landyn Scott 2, Conner Hill, Za’Quan Gray 9, Dashon Campbell 2, Jaden Lewis 11.