West Bladen girls win third straight

TABOR CITY — Senior Kali Allen fired in 11 points and freshman Hadley Dove sank a key free throw late as West Bladen claimed its third straight win Friday night, beating South Columbus 38-35 in a Southeastern Conference high school girls’ basketball game.

It’s the longest winning streak for West Bladen since the 2023-24 season when the Knights won four straight, beating South Columbus twice along with Whiteville and West Columbus between Dec. 7, 2023 and Jan. 2, 2024. It was West Bladen’s only victories that season as it finished 4-16.

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West Bladen (4-11, 2-2 Southeastern) led from start to finish – once by 11 points in the third period – but South Columbus (3-12, 1-3 Southeastern) trimmed the lead to 37-35 with 37 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by freshman Addison Faulk.

The Stallions had to foul twice to put West Bladen on the foul line. Dove’s free throw stretched the lead to 38-35 with five seconds left. A long South Columbus pass sailed out of bounds as the horn sounded.

Allen also collected six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks for the winners. Sophomore Amiya McCarty contributed eight points and three steals before fouling out with 3:45 remaining. Senior Natalee Sykes and Dove both tossed in seven points with all of Dove’s points coming in the fourth quarter.

Faulk made 7 of 9 free throws and topped the South scoring with nine points.

WEST BLADEN (38) — Hadley Dove 7, Amiya McCarty 8, Haley Taylor 2, Abigail Dew 2, Saniya Martin, Harmony Richardson, Kali Allen 11, Logan Powers 1, Natalee Sykes 7, Lauryn Lesane.

SOUTH COLUMBUS (35) — Addison Faulk 9, Makayla Moore 2, Trinity Strickland 8, Bristol Parker 3, Morgan Boyd 2, DeAisa Johnson 6, Brianna Price, Haley Morall, Aaliyah Bellamy 5.