West Bladen downs Greene Central 58-47, will host #5 Northeastern in third round

Bladenboro, NC - Senior center Chase Williams racked up a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds Friday night to lead No. 4 seed West Bladen to a 58-47 NCHSAA 2nd round boys’ basketball playoff victory over No. 20 Greene Central.

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights stretched their winning streak to 18 in a row and improved to 25-1. West Bladen will host No. 5 seed Elizabeth City Northeastern (23-2) Tuesday night. The Eagles rallied late to edge Kinston 53-51 in their 2nd round game.

It was the 16th double-double of the season for Williams, the 6-8 Citadel signee, who made 10 of 11 shots from the field and 5 of 10 foul shots while adding 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal and 1 deflection.

Junior guard Jackson Pait buried a trio of 3-point shots and finished with 15 points, a team-high 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 deflection. Junior Tylik McCall fired in a 3-point shot and totaled 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist.

Senior Hezekiah Adams pumped in 6 points and had 2 rebounds, 2 deflections, 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. Junior Keonta Hill contributed 3 points, 2 steals and 1 assist. Sophomore Kendell Lesane grabbed 2 rebounds.

McCall popped in a 15-footer to start the game, and Pait delivered assists to Chase Williams who hammered in a dunk then flipped in a hook for a 6-0 lead. Chase Williams banked in a lay-up then scooped in an off-balance lay-up while falling to grow the lead to 10-2.

Joshua Cetnar responded with a 3-pointer for the Rams, but Pait answered with a long 3-pointer from the volleyball line. Greene’s Jalin Sutton scored a 3-point play in transition and Cetnar’s lay-up cut the lead to 13-10.

Pait drained a 3-ball from the top of the key, but Sutton literally threw in an 8-footer that beat the buzzer and trimmed the margin to 16-12.

Chase Williams pitched a kick-out pass to McCall who nailed a 3-pointer to start the 2nd period. Lay-ups by Nick Avent and Mike Suggs kept the Rams close, but Chase Williams canned a free throw and dropped in a pair of hook shots for a 24-18 West lead.

Guard Dontrez Evans rallied the Rams to within 24-23 with a 3-ball and a transition lay-up at the 3:38 mark.

Chase Williams turned a rebound into a 3-point play that ignited a 9-0 Knight run. Pait and Adams sank 2 free throws, and Chase Williams powered in another follow shot to push the lead to 33-23. Dietrich Williams’ lay-up closed the gap to 33-25 at halftime.

“I thought we had a chance to put them away in the first half, but we made a couple of stupid plays and they cut it to 24-23,” said Coach Pait. “We boxed out great, but we have to run our offense better.”

Coach Pait continued, “Survive and advance’ isn't that what Coach (Jim) Valvano said. We have got to do some things better.”

Cetnar’s 3-ball pulled the Rams to within 33-28 to begin the 2nd half. Pait sent an assist to Chase Williams for a lay-up, drilled in another 3-ball and cashed in 2 free throws that opened up a 40-28 Knight lead.

Adams drove for a lay-up and popped in a 15-footer. Chase Williams banged in a rebound, but Suggs’ 3-pointer kept the Rams within 46-35. Hill grabbed a loose ball and flipped in a lay-up, and McCall drove for a lay-up and a 3-point play that pushed the lead to 51-37 at the quarter break.

Chase Williams connected on 3 of 4 free throws in the final period. Pait delivered an assist to Adams for a lay-up, and Hill and McCall tacked on free throws for the final margin.

The Knights shot 52% from the field (20 of 38), while the Rams were 19 of 48 (39%). West Bladen held a 26-19 edge on the boards.

Cetnar led the Rams scoring with 10 points, and Evans and Nick Avent scored 8 points each.

Greene Central (47) - Dontrez Evans 8, Donovan Hall, Mike Suggs 7, Deitrich Williams 7, Joshua Cetnar 10, Jalin Sutton 5, Jason Wilson 2, Nick Avent 8, Sam Avent.

West Bladen (58) - Jackson Pait 15, Hezekiah Adams 6, Demarion Bryant,  Tylik McCall 9, Kendell Lesane, Keonta Hill 3, Conner Monroe, Chase Williams 25, Hunter Hester.