West Bladen boys sweep season series against rival East Bladen with a 60-18 victory.

West Bladen's Jackson Pait (left) being guarded by East Bladen's Kewone Maynor (right). Photos by: Ken Arm Photo

Elizabethtown, NC - Juniors Jackson Pait and Tylik McCall combined for six 3-point baskets that keyed a 28-3 3rd quarter blitz and propelled West Bladen to a 60-18 non-conference boys’ basketball victory over East Bladen Thursday night.

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights raised their record to 22-1 and will celebrate Senior Night Friday when they host Southeastern Athletic Conference foe Red Springs.

“We made some adjustments at halftime that got us better shots,” said Coach Pait. “We had good looks in the 1st half, but got better looks after halftime. We didn’t box out in the 1st half, but were better in the 2nd half. I thought we guarded well, but it is always a tough game over here.”

Pait drained 4 of his 3-point shots in the 3rd period and finished with five 3-point baskets, 16 points, a team-high 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. McCall poured in four 3-point baskets and contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 deflections.

Knight senior center Chase Williams recorded his 13th double-double of the season with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 1 deflection. Senior Hezekiah Adams buried a 3-pointer and contributed 12 points, a team-high 4 steals, 4 assists, 1 deflection and 1 rebound.

West sophomore Kendell Lesane and junior Keonta Hill tallied 2 points each, grabbed 2 rebounds each and had 1 assist each. Hill had 3 deflections, and Lesane added 1 deflection.

Photos by: Ken Arm Photo

After Kewone Maynor started the game with a rebound basket for East, McCall bombed in a pair of 3-point shots, senior Hezekiah Adams cashed in 2 free throws, and Pait canned one for a 9-2 Knight lead.

East’s Dominick Collins popped in a 15-footer, but Adams answered with a corner 3-ball then pulled up for a 12-footer. Another Maynor follow shot kept East within 14-6 at the quarter break.

Adams began the 2nd period with a baseline 12-footer, and Pait drilled in a long 3-pointer. Williams banged in a follow for a 21-6 Knight lead. Maynor popped in a 10-footer, and Dashon Campbell put back a rebound to trim the margin to 21-10.

Williams spun through traffic for a follow shot, but East’s Sherman Long responded with a 3-ball. Adams stole the ball and delivered an assist to Hill for a lay-up that closed the half with 25-13 West halftime lead.

Pait swished a pair of long 3-balls to open the 2nd half. Campbell made a free throw, but Adams turned a long rebound into a lay-up and a 3-point play. Lesane sank 2 free throws, and Williams converted an Adams’ assist into a lay-up and a 39-14 lead.

Photos by: Ken Arm Photo

McCall buried a corner 3-ball off a Lesane assist. Collins connected from 16-feet for East, but Pait flushed 3-pointers from the right of the key and the right wing – the 2nd one off a McCall assist. McCall drained a pair of free throws then fired in a 3-ball from the left of the key that stretched the lead to 53-16 at the quarter break.

Williams flipped in a jump-hook off a quick feed from Pait to start the final period. Another Pait assist resulted in another Williams lay-up. Collins pumped in a 14-footer for East, and Williams made 3 of 4 free throws to close the scoring.

Collins and Maynor shared scoring honors for East with 6 points each.

The Knights shot 43% from the field (19 of 44), while East shot 19% (8 of 39). West held a 28-25 edge in rebounds and was credited with 15 assists.

West Bladen (60) - Jackson Pait 16, Hezekiah Adams 12, Damarion Bryant, Tylik McCall 14, Kendell Lesane 2, Keonta Hill 2, Conner Monroe, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Ty’Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 14, Hunter Hester, Justin Spaulding.

East Bladen (18) – Dominick Collins 6, Sherman Long 3, Shannon Hankins, Dashon Campbell 3, Kewone Maynor 6, Jaden Lewis, Chace Butler, Yoni Gonzales, Ben Lent.