The West Bladen boys and East Bladen girls will travel Saturday for third-round games in the N.C. High School Athletic Association basketball playoffs. Admission is $12.
The seventh-seeded West Bladen boys (21-6) are scheduled to play at No. 2 Kinston (18-3) at 7:30 p.m. in the 3A playoffs. The game will follow the girls’ game between Kinston and Wallace-Rose Hill that is set for a 6 p.m. tip.
The sixth-seeded East Bladen girls (20-7) are scheduled to play at No. 3 Gates County (22-4) at 3 p.m.
The West Bladen boys defeated Greene Central 73-61 on Thursday, rallying from a 10-point deficit midway the third quarter. Tylik McCall, Jamari Adams-Peterson and Jackson Pait scored in double figures for the Knights.
Kinston plays in the same Eastern Plains 2A/3A Conference as Greene Central and beat the Rams 63-51 and 71-56 this season.
Kinston edged Whiteville 66-65 on Thursday in a second-round game. West Bladen defeated the Wolfpack 68-63, 80-59 and 80-74 this season.
The East Bladen girls advanced to the third round by beating Manteo 52-23 on Thursday. Ariel Cromartie and Aaliyah Monroe each scored in double figures.
The Red Barons won the Albemarle Athletic Conference and have won 14 straight games following its 52-20 victory against Cornerstone Charter on Thursday.
Gates County is in the same conference with Manteo and defeated the Redskins 44-19, 57-20 and 56-19 this season.
Sonny Jones can be reached at [email protected].