KINSTON — West Bladen senior Tylik McCall blistered the nets with a career-high 37 points Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough as Kinston poured in 59 second-half points en route to an 88-59 victory in the third round of the NCHSAA 3A boys basketball playoffs.

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights, the No. 7 seed, completed their season with a 21-7 record while No. 2 seed Kinston (19-3) will host No. 6 seed Northwood in the Eastern semifinals Monday night.

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McCall connected on 13 of 29 shots, including five 3-point shots, made all six of his free throws and snared three rebounds. Senior Jackson Pait nailed a pair of early 3-pointers for six points despite playing with an injured calf muscle. He also contributed four assists, two steals and four deflections.

“This is about the fifth game in a row that we have been on edge, but this is an unbelievable group of guys,” Coach Pait said. “What Tylik has done the last four games shows how hard the kids have tried to fight through it.” McCall averaged 28.5 points per game during that stretch.

Coach Pait continued, “Kinston is very quick and talented and it seemed like we were playing with half a barrel (with Jackson hurt). But the kids played hard and I am very proud of them.”

The six Knight seniors — McCall, Pait, Demarion Bryant, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Justin Spaulding and Isaiah Robinson — were parts of teams that posted a 90-19 record, won four conference championships, two conference tournament championships, two Bladen Offroad Christmas Tournament championships and reached the Eastern Regional Championship game last season.

Genesis Wiggins scored 14 of his 27 points for Kinston in the second half. Teammate Jamarion Washington tallied all 14 of his points after halftime. Keyshawn Herring also pumped in 14 points, Jhayeir Koonce pounded the boards for 13 points, and Brennan Chambers added 10.

McCall buried a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Pait bombed in a 3-ball from the top of the key for a 6-0 Knight lead. Bryant popped in a 10-foot runner, and junior Kendall Lessane powered in a lay-up for a 10-5 West lead, but a Wiggins 3-ball and 2 baskets from Herring keyed an 11-0 run that put the Vikings up 16-10 at the break.

A rebound bucket by Koonce and a Wiggins lay-up upped the count to 20-10, but McCall answered with a bucket, and Pait nailed a 3-ball then hurled a long pass to junior Jaquan Lesane for a lay-up that trimmed the margin to 22-17.

A Herring 3-ball and four points from Wiggins pushed the lead to 29-17, but Adams-Peterson sank two free throws, and McCall cashed in four free tosses to narrow the halftime lead to 29-23.

McCall opened the second half with a 14-footer, but two buckets each from Koonce and Washington sparked a 10-2 Viking run. McCall flipped in a runner then swished another 3-ball. Bryant tossed in another runner, and McCall’s feed to junior Keonta Hill produced another lay-up that trimmed the lead to 43-34 at the 2:37 mark.

The Vikings closed the period with a 15-5 run to stretch their lead to 58-39.

Twelve points from Wiggins and six from Chambers sparked a 30-20 final period Viking surge. McCall burnt the nets with a trio of 3-pointers, drove for another 3-point play and netted a 14-footer and a lay-up off a Lesane assist for 16 points in the period.

The Knights forced 23 Viking turnovers, but the Vikings shot 61% (41-of-67) from the field and held a 38-20 rebound advantage. West was 20 of 59 from the field (33%).

WEST BLADEN (59) — Jackson Pait 6, Demarion Bryant 4, Keon Whittington, Tylik McCall 37, Kendell Lessane 4, Keonta Hill 2, Jaquan Lesane 2, Jamari Adams-Peterson 2, Carnell Lewis, Isaiah Robinson 2, Ethan Bourhill, Ahmbrie Cooper Cyncere Jessup, Blake Britt, Justin Spaulding.

KINSTON (88) — Keyshawn Herring 14, Genesis Wiggins 27, Jamarion Washington 14, Brennan Chambers 10, Justin Gooding 2, Alijah Garner, Jaylen Hawkins 4, Jhayeir Koonce 13, Jayden Herring, DeJabriel Brown, Johnterion Cobb 2, Keyshaw Kenner 2.