BLADENBORO — West Bladen’s Knights clinched the Southeastern Conference championship Tuesday night with an 87-43 boys’ basketball victory over South Columbus. It was the fourth consecutive conference title for Coach Travis Pait’s Knights.
It also was the 11th consecutive win for the Knights (18-5, 9-0 Southeastern), who are scheduled to end the regular season Friday at home against South Brunswick.
Tylik McCall and Jackson Pait have been starters on all four of those conference title teams and Kendell Lessane has been a starter on the last three championship teams.
The varsity boys’ victory capped a night in which West Bladen swept South Columbus inside Ken F. Cross Gymnasium. The varsity girls edged the Stallions 53-49, the junior varsity boys clinched a tie for the conference title with a 62-20 win and the JV girls rolled to a 34-5 victory.
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In the varsity boys’ game, McCall sparked the Knights with 19 points, six steals and three assists. Jamari Adams-Peterson pumped in 13 points and had three steals. Lessane tossed in 12 points and contributed three rebounds and two steals. Pait rang up 11 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Cyncere Jessup pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to lead West to a 33-24 advantage on the boards. The Knights forced 28 turnovers and came up with 22 steals.
“I was very disappointed in the way we played. We weren’t good in the first half,” said Coach Pait. “I hope it was an eye-opener for us. The first five minutes of the second half were very good.”
Pait continued, “Every game is a playoff game from here on. We have only had one practice in 13 days and played three games, so we were expecting some slippage. It seemed like there was more of it tonight than there was last week.”
VARSITY GIRLS: WEST BLADEN 53, SOUTH COLUMBUS 49
Sophomore Amiya McCarty poured in 23 points, including the final four deciding points as West Bladen defeated South Columbus 53-49.
With the score knotted 49-49, McCarty snared a long rebound and fired in a 12-footer for the go-ahead basket with 38 seconds left. After a South turnover, McCarty was fouled and sank the clinching free throws with 16 seconds remaining.
Hadley Dove then stole the ball and the Lady Knights ran out the clock.
The Knights (5-15, 3-6 Southeastern) have secured the No. 4 seed in next week’s Southeastern tournament.
McCarty just missed a double-double with nine steals and three rebounds. Kali Allen finished with nine points, four rebounds and two steals. Natalee Sykes tallied eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Saniya Martin grabbed nine rebounds and netted seven points. Dove pulled down seven rebounds and had six steals and Haley Taylor corralled five rebounds.
JV BOYS: WEST BLADEN 62, SOUTH COLUMBUS 20
West Bladen clinched at least a tie for the top spot in the Southeastern Conference with a 62-20 victory over South Columbus.
The Knights (13-4, 8-1 Southeastern) exploded for 29 points in the second period and raced to a 37-17 lead. Shyron Thompson and Gaston Russ tossed in three baskets each, and Parker Bourhill nailed a pair of 3-point shots. Mark’kus Bass, Jarvis McMillian, Sincere McKinley, Isaiah Minus and Jace Lesane added a basket each and McKinley hit a foul shot.
Thompson led the Knights with 14 points. Russ followed with 10 points.
JV GIRLS: WEST BLADEN 34, SOUTH COLUMBUS 5
Logan Powers lit up the scoreboard with 28 points and led West Bladen to a 34-5 victory.
Powers nailed a 3-point shot and another basket in the opening period. Hadley Dove and Serenity Council added baskets as West (6-3, 3-0 Southeastern) grabbed a 9-0 lead. Powers popped in two more baskets in the second quarter to push the lead to 13-1 at halftime.
Powers blistered the nets with six more baskets in the third period as the lead swelled to 25-3.
VARSITY BOYS: WEST BLADEN 87, SOUTH COLUMBUS 43
South Columbus (43) — Preston Dager 2, Nasir Hutchinson 6, Jalen Hubbard, Logan Todd 1, Kameron Johnson 4, Jordan Hardy 1, Jaxon Greene, Cole Chestnutt, Reed Spivey 3, Christopher Joseph 10, Jamarion Stackhouse 8, Jamarius Hemingway 6, Walker Smith, Kevonte Phillips 2.
West Bladen (87) — Jackson Pait 11, Demarion Bryant 2, Keon Whittington 2, Tylik McCall 19, Kendell Lessane 12, Keonta Hill 9, Jaquan Lesane 5, Jamari Adams-Peterson 13, Carnell Lewis 8, Isaiah Robinson, Ethan Bourhill, Ahmbrie Cooper, Cyncere Jessup, Blake Britt, Justin Spaulding 6.
VARSITY GIRLS: WEST BLADEN 53, SOUTH COLUMBUS 49
South Columbus (49) — Addison Faulk 2, Makayla Moore 10, Trinity Strickland 9, Bristol Parker 7, Morgan Boyd 9, DeAisa Johnson 8, Brianna Price 4, Aaliyah Bellamy.
West Bladen (53) — Hadley Dove 4, Amiya McCarty 23, Haley Taylor 2, Saniya Martin 7, Harmony Richardson, Kali Allen 9, Natalee Sykes 8.
JV BOYS: WEST BLADEN 62, SOUTH COLUMBUS 20
South Columbus (20) — Fipps 3, Betts, Stephens 2, Reaves, Coleman 4, Jackson 11, Bullard, Long, Davis.
West Bladen (62) — Parker Bourhill 6, Drake Gause 4, Jace Lesane 2, Isaiah Minus 8, Uzziah Gause, Gaston Russ 10, Sincere McKinley 7, Isaiah Lloyd 3, Mark’kus Bass 2, Shyron Thompson 14, Sterling Davis, Jarvis McMillan 6, Jeremiah Bryan.
JV GIRLS: WEST BLADEN 34, SOUTH COLUMBUS 5
South Columbus (5) — Kasey Cribb, Layrynn Martinez, Adelyn Ward 3, Kei Asyhia McClure, Riley Suggs, Alexia Clay 2, Ry’Nya Stephens, Princess Bellamy, Macealynn Gray.
West Bladen (34) — Amiya McCarty, Damonyque Blackwell, Logan Powers 28, Zir’rihana White, Hadley Dove 2, Serenity Council 2, Abigail Dicicco 2.
To report sports news, email Sonny Jones at [email protected].