West Bladen’s Knights exploded with a 32-10 second half run that wiped out a 10-point deficit and produced a 73-61 victory over Greene Central on Thursday night in the second round of the NCHSAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights, the No. 7 seed, improved to 22-6 and will travel to No. 2 seed Kinston on Saturday. Kinston advanced with a 66-65 victory over Whiteville. Greene Central, the No. 10 seed, was coached by former Utah Jazz star ‘Blue’ Edwards and finished their season with a 15-10 record.
Master sports schedule | Standings
Dejuan Beamon’s 3-pointer gave the Rams a 38-28 lead midway the third period, but Knight senior Jamari Adams-Peterson answered with a 3-ball then stole the ball and dropped in a lay-up. Tylik McCall’s turn-around 14-footer sliced the deficit to 38-35.
Keonta Hill scored on a goaltending call, but Jason Wilson’s follow shot and Trey Bynum’s lay-up put the Rams up 43-37. McCall hooked in an 8-footer, and Demarion Bryant and Jaquan Lesane sank two free throws each to close the gap to 44-43 at the break.
Lesane buried a corner 3-ball to vault West in front 46-44 with 5:40 left. Bryant followed up his own miss, and Justin Spaulding pump-faked a pair of defenders and banged in a lay-up off a McCall assist to pad the lead to 50-44.
Hill sent an assist to McCall, who nailed a 3-ball, and Adams-Peterson swished another corner 3-ball. McCall cashed in 2 free throws, and Hill stole the ball and drove for a lay-up and a 60-48 lead.
After a time-out Adams-Peterson delivered a pass to a cutting Jackson Pait for a lay-up and a 62-50 lead at the 2:29 mark. “We went back to our Princeton offense to get that lay-up,” said Coach Pait.
The Knights converted 11 of 14 free throws over the final 1:35 to secure the win. Adams-Peterson and Pait made four each, McCall hit two and Bryant netted one.
“We had a hard time adjusting to their physicality in the first half,” Coach Pait said. “I was proud of Tylik because he could have tapped out after some of the hits he took. The second half we came out ready and did a better job of getting into them defensively.”
Coach Pait continued, “The guys were really into it in the second half. The bench was excited, the crowd was excited. It was a good win.”
McCall led the Knights with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Adams-Peterson just missed a double-double with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Pait added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
Beamon topped the Ram scoring with 19 points, Trey Bynum and Nick Avent followed with eight points each.
The Knights forced 19 turnovers but suffered 14 of their own. West shot 39% (23-for-58), while the Rams were 24-for-63 (38%).
GREENE CENTRAL (61) – D. J. Williams 5, Matthew Sanders 6, Dejuan Beamon 19, Josh Cetnar 4, Justin Mitchell, Sam Avent 5, Trey Bynum 8, Jason Wilson 6, Nick Avent 8.
WEST BLADEN (73) – Jackson Pait 10, Demarion Bryant 6, Tylik McCall 16, Kendell Lessane 5, Keonta Hill 8, Jaquan Lesane 7, Jamari Adams-Peterson 12, Carnell Lewis 7, Cyncere Jessup, Blake Britt, Justin Spaulding 2.