The Bladenboro boys won the Bladen County middle school preseason basketball tournament.
                                 Contributed photo

The Bladenboro boys won the Bladen County middle school preseason basketball tournament.

Contributed photo

<p>The Bladenboro girls won the Bladen County middle school preseason basketball tournament.</p>
                                 <p>Contributed photo</p>

The Bladenboro girls won the Bladen County middle school preseason basketball tournament.

Contributed photo

Bladenboro swept the Bladen County middle school preseason basketball tournaments Thursday inside Harold L. Ford Gymnasium at Clarkton School of Discovery.

The Bladenboro girls slipped past Elizabethtown 27-22. The Bulldogs held a 15-10 lead at halftime, but Elizabethtown was able to cut the deficit to two, 20-18, by the end of the third quarter.

Zamani Mason scored 15 points and Ady Carroll had 12 to account for all of the points for Bladenboro (2-0). Jeniyah Whittington had 12 points and Racquel Whittington added nine for Elizabethtown (1-1).

Master sports schedule | Standings

In the boys’ championship game, Bladenboro used a strong third quarter and held off Clarkton 27-24. Clarkton (1-1) took an 18-11 into the dressing room behind the play of Travaughn Shipman, who scored 11 of his game-high 15 points in the first half.

Bladenboro (2-0) outscored the Blue Devils 12-4 in the third quarter as Jamarie Shaw and Braylon Melvin each had two baskets for a 23-22 lead in the back-and-forth-contest.

Points were tough to come by in the fourth quarter as the defenses ramped up. Brayden Freeman and Melvin each had a basket for Bladenboro while Jaylin Ballard had a basket for Clarkton.

In Elizabethtown, Emereau: Bladen won boys’ and girls’ middle school basketball games against Harrells Christian inside the Elizabethtown Baptist Church gymnasium. Each Aviators team has a 4-4 record.

Cayden Smith scored 15 points and had his second dunk this season as the Emereau boys pulled away in the second half for a 34-20 victory against the Crusaders.

The Emereau girls raced to an 8-0 lead after the first quarter and defeated Harrells Christian 18-7. Harper Allen scored eight points and Keri Burgess had seven to lead the Aviators.

BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: BLADENBORO 27, CLARKTON 24

Bladenboro (27) — Zion Ellison 3, Avion Murphy, Jamarie Shaw 4, Kamarrie Barr, Brayden Freeman 4, Keithan Russ 5, Jayden Ruffin 5, Ronderick Bellamy, Braylon Melvin 6, Triton Bordeaux, R. Johnsson, Tyler Thurman, K. Purdie, O. Campos, A. Guyton, J. Johnson.

Clarkton (24) — Shawn Davisson, Jaylin Ballard 7, Dyson Moore, Travaughn Shipman 15, Braylan Smith 2, Markel Jacobs, Tyquan Jones, Malakye Rogers, Mari Byrd, Chatham Rigsbee, Trasyn Smith, Aiden Wooten, Owen Hall, Levi Jackson.

GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP: BLADENBORO 27, ELIZABETHTOWN 22

Bladenboro (27) — Zamani Mason 15, Ady Carroll 12, Sa’Bria Cobb, Caity McLaurin, Liz Miller, Kaylee Fisher, Camarri Covington, Eva Dove, Bella Hester, Nova Chadwick, Aubrey McKeithan, K’Nyla Thompson, Paislee Alley

Elizabethtown (22) — Racquel Whittington 9, Nyashia Lyles 1, Jeniyah Whittington 12, Jennifer Stanislas, Chanel High, Janna Tandang, Maddison McLaurin, Justice Brown, Oliva Burton, Britney Scarlett, Lanasia Gardner.

BOYS: EMEREAU 34, HARRELLS 20

Harrells (20) — M. Rumbold 9, H. Campbell 3, H. Register 5, J. Beasley 3, K. Hemingway, C. Sasser, C. Cain, B. Newton, H. Clifton, L. Norris, C. Sasser, G. Bowker, F. Ezzell, W. Rivenbark, B. Hilton.

Emereau (34) — Noah Ray 6, Jayden Bordeaux 9, Cayden Smith 15, Mason Sasser 1, Cooper Patrick 3, Eli Diccico, Colt Lewis, Greyson Leggett, Ryker Britt, Tony Robersion, Ryker Dowless, Saeed McElveen, Luke Avant, Mark Michael.

GIRLS: EMEREAU 18, HARRELLS 7

Harrells (7) — E.L. P. 6, Kenadie P. 2, Emily C. Matilda P. Taylor S. Britton B., McKenzie R. Savannah P. Leah G, Kendal I.

Emereau (18) — Khloe Campbell, Holly McMillian 3, Keri Burgess 7, Harper Allen 8, Alaina Wilkins, Zoe Hall, Rylie Dowless, Carly Rorick, Heide Sasser, Laiken Rodgers.

THURSDAY, JAN. 15

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Basketball

Boys: Emereau 34, Harrells Christian 20

Girls: Emereau 18, Harrells Christian 7

Bladen County preseason tournament

Girls: Championship, Bladenboro 27, Elizabethtown 22

Boys: Championship, Bladenboro 27, Clarkton 24

RECREATION

Basketball

7-9-Year-Old Girls

Wolfpack 6, Bulldogs 5

7-9-Year-Old Boys

Bears 26, Huskies 1

Yellow Jackets 14, Gators 13

Blue Devils 17, Longhorns 6

FRIDAY, JAN. 16

HIGH SCHOOL

Basketball

Fairmont at West Bladen, JV girls 4 p.m., JV boys 5 p.m., Varsity girls 6 p.m., Varsity boys 7:30 p.m.

East Bladen at Lakewood, JV boys 4:30 p.m., Varsity girls 6 p.m., Varsity boys 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN. 17

RECREATION

Basketball

7-9-Year-Old Girls at King Street Gym, Elizabethtown

Wolfpack vs. Pirates, 9 a.m.

10-12-Year-Old Girls at King Street Gym, Elizabethtown

Sparks vs. Mercury, 10:30 a.m.

10-12-Year-Old Boys at King Street Gym, Elizabethtown

Lakers vs. Knicks, 9:45 a.m.

Celtics vs. Warriors, 11:15 a.m.

Mavericks vs. Pacers, noon

Lil Knights at West Bladen High gym

College

UNC vs. N.C. State, 9:25 a.m.

Duke vs. Wake Forest, 10 a.m.

NBA

Spurs vs. Thunder, 9:25 a.m.

Knicks vs. Lakers, 10 a.m.

To report sports news, email Sonny Jones at [email protected].