Golden Tornadoes Storm the Knights’ Caslte

BLADENBORO-The 14th-seeded Fairmont Golden Tornadoes defeated the number-three seeded West Bladen Knights for a 59-38 victory in the second round of the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs on Friday night. The SAC 6 co-champions met for the third time this season but unlike previous meetings, Friday’s game held “win or go home” implications. Fairmont started the game at 100 mph and they finished the game with the same high intensity to leave Ken F. Cross Gymnasium with the round two victory.

Fairmont junior forward Landon Cummings dropped 17-points to lead his team and West Bladen junior center Chase Williams led all scorers with 20-points. The Gold Tornadoes started the first quarter with a turnover and the host went down the floor to nail a two-point jumper. Fairmont had three chances to answer but missed every single shot until the Knights were able to grab the defensive board.

West Bladen shot the three-ball on their next possession but the shot clanked off the rim and the visitors were able to push the ball down the floor. The Golden Tornadoes grabbed an offensive board but a shuffle of the feet on the way down was called by the official to award the host with possession. The Knights failed to capitalize on the extra possession by turning the ball over themselves and the visitors tied the game at two with Cummings pulling up from mid-range.

Junior guard Hezekiah Adams went 100 percent from the free throw line to put the host ahead by 4-2 a few moments later. Fairmont played a physical brand of man-to-man defense throughout the game by harassing the Knights ball handlers with hand-checking and face-guarding. Williams fought through heavy contact for the 2-and-1 as he stretched the Knights lead to 7-2.

Fairmont responded with senior guard Issac McKellar penetrating the interior of the Knights defense to finish with a driving lay-up. The Golden Tornadoes swiped the steal on their next defensive possession but failed to finish on the break. West Bladen turned the ball over once more and their opponents trotted down the floor with a purpose. Cumming received the ball on the wing before netting a three-point dagger to tie the game at 7-7.

The Golden Tornadoes’ rigid defense kept the Knights from turning the game into a track meet and they slowed the pace of the game to their advantage.West Bladen forward Tylik McCall went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe to give the host a one-point advantage with seconds remaining in the first quarter. The host lead only lasted momentarily as Cummings drained his floater at the buzzer to give the visitors a 9-8 lead going into the second quarter.

Faimont’s senior forward Ty’Rek Thompson grabbed an offensive board before dishing the ball to senior guard Gabriel Washington; Washington then proceeded to put the ball on the floor and wiggled his way through traffic to finish the lay-up to make the score 11-8 in favor of the visitors. West Bladen responded immediately with Williams leaping through multiple defenders for a quick two-points but the Golden Tornadoes answered with a three-pointer to keep them ahead by four.

The host went back to Williams and he delivered with a nifty post-move for two additional points to their score tally. Fairmont was able to get another offensive board on their next possession and extended their lead with Cummings draining another three-pointer. Williams continued to show his determination to score with another 2-and-1 as the Knights stayed within two points of their opponents.

Washington went coast-to-coast to finish his lay-in to extend the visitors lead to 19-15 with the second quarter dwindling down. West Bladen attempted to respond but turned the ball over to give their opponents an extra possession. The Golden Tornadoes took advantage by going to the hot-hand of Cummings and he proceeded to nail his mid-range jumper to extend the visitors lead to six. McCall gave the Knights an immediate response with a strong finish inside to keep the visitors in their sights.

The first half concluded with Fairmont in front at 21-17 and all the pressure was upon the shoulders of the Knights. The host started the third quarter with a turnover but they held firm on the defensive end with Williams denying his opponents lay-up with a two handed block. Adams sprinted the ball down the floor before dumping the ball off to a trailing Williams for the two-point flush to pull the Knights within a couple.

West Bladen was able to force a turnover on the ensuing inbound pass but coughed possession back to their opponents a few moments later. Fairmont junior center Josiah Billings got his team on the board for the first time in the quarter with a hook shot over his defender to keep the visitors in front by a slender lead of five. The Knights didn’t take long to respond as Adams attacked the basket with an acrobatic finish to make the score 23-21.

Cummings snatched his own miss and finished on the put-back to extend the Gold Tornadoes lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. West Bladen sophomore guard Jackson Pait blew past his defender off the dribble and he attacked the basket for a quick two points coming out of a timeout. The Golden Tornadoes nabbed another offensive board before kicking the ball out to Washington for the mid-range jumper to make the score 27-23.

Williams nailed a technical free throw and followed it up with a strong finish at the rim to put the Knights within one of their opponents. Fairmont went ice-cold for a moment and the Knights reclaimed the lead with Williams draining his hook shot over the outstretched hand of his defender. The Golden Tornadoes answered immediately with a three-ball from senior guard Nashon Davis to make the score 30-28.

West Bladen missed their shot on the next possession and their opponents were able to extend their lead with a field goal from McKellar. The host failed to score in the final seconds and they closed out the quarter with an 0-for-2 effort at the charity stripe. Davis drained a floater while straddling the baseline to put the visitors ahead by 34-28 going into the final quarter of the game.

McCall pulled the Knights within four after going 2-for-2 at the free throw line to start the fourth quarter. Fairmont snatched yet another offensive board and Cummings nailed his lay-up from in close to stretch his team’s lead to six. West Bladen attempted a quick three-point shot but went without luck as the shot rattled out.

The Golden Tornadoes smelled blood in the water and McKellar piled onto the lead after cutting inside for an easy finish. The Knights got two good looks from three-point range on a single possession but missed both of them. They were able to get a much-needed turnover on defense and they found an open shooter on the three-point line in transition but still couldn’t finish.

Fairmont stretched the lead to 10 points with under five minutes remaining before the final buzzer. West Bladen turned the ball over and a foul would send the Golden Tornadoes to the free throw line for a 50 percent effort. The host turned the ball over once more and the Golden Tornadoes put the nail in their coffin from the free throw line.

West Bladen finished the season with an overall record of 24-2 and they improved immensely from last season’s 18-8 finish. The Knights lose two seniors in Andre Moore and Cornelius Ester but they will return the bulk of their team next season. Fairmont moves their overall record to 21-5 and they’ll take on the number-six seeded Heide Trask Titans in the third round of the NCHSAA 2A Playoffs this Tuesday.