West Bladen clinched the SAC 6 boys basketball championship with a 47-31 victory over Fairmont.

West Bladen team photo following the win that clinched the SAC 6 title.

Bladenboro, NC - Senior center Chase Williams posted a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday night as West Bladen clinched the Southeastern Athletic Conference boys’ basketball championship with a 47-31 victory over Fairmont.  

Coach Travis Pait’s Knights shared the 2022-23 title with East Bladen and the 2023-24 SAC championship with Fairmont, but Tuesday’s win over 2nd place Fairmont raised West Bladen’s SAC record to 9-0, their overall mark to 21-1 and secured the No.1 playoff spot from the SAC. The Knights will visit East Bladen Thursday night for a non-conference game.

It was the 12th double-double of the season for Williams, the 6-8 Citadel signee, who also had a steal and a deflection. Junior Tylik McCall drained a pair of 3-point shots and contributed 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 deflection.

Senior Hezekiah Adams filled the stat sheet with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 deflections, 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. Sophomore Kendell Lesane added 5 rebounds, 4 points, 1 steal and 1 assist.

Junior Jackson Pait collected 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 deflections. Junior Keonta Hill dished out 2 assists and had a steal and a deflection.

“Tylik was amazing tonight,” said Coach Pait. “Chase did what Chase does, and Hezi and Kendell both had spots where they took charge.”

Coach Pait continued, “We guarded really well in the 1st half. We still guarded well in the 2nd half but we didn’t box out and rebound. We had some turnovers (15), but I only remember one live ball turnover.”

The Knights forced 19 Fairmont turnovers and outrebounded the Tornadoes 29-24. West shot 46% (20 of 43) from the field and held Fairmont to 29% (13 for 44). The Knights were credited with 10 assists.

After Fairmont’s Tariq Leggette banked in a basket, the Knights responded with an 11-0 run. Williams pumped in a 15-foot  elbow jumper, and Lesane drove for a pair of lay-ups. Adams delivered an assist to Williams for a lay-up, and McCall buried a 3-point shot.

Pait pulled up for a 15-footer, and McCall sank 2 free throws to push the lead to 15-4 at the quarter break. Pait then began the 2nd period with a rebound basket off his own miss that padded the count to 17-4.

Landon Cummings answered with a 3-point shot for the Tornadoes, and Caleb Daniels put back a rebound and hit a 3-pointer to slice the lead to 17-12.

The Knights roared back and closed the half with a 9-0 run. Williams canned 2 free throws then powered in a lay-up. Adams nailed a 3-point shot from the right wing, and Williams banged in a follow for a 26-12 halftime lead.

Adams started the 2nd half with a lay-up, but Fairmont’s Xavier Johnson responded with a pair of baskets. Williams spun to the rim for a basket, and Hill pitched ahead to Adams for a lay-up and a 32-18 lead.

Williams muscled in a lay-up, before McCall fired in a 3-point shot. Adams raced ahead of the defense for a lay-up and a 39-22 lead at the quarter break.

McCall drove for a lay-up to begin the final period. Williams slammed in a dunk off a McCall assist. McCall drove for another lay-up, and Lesane delivered an assist to Williams for a lay-up and the final 47-31 margin.

Daniels and A.J. Stephens shared Tornado scoring honors with 6 points each. The Tornadoes lost Landon Cummings to an injury late in the 2nd quarter.

Fairmont (31) – Ayden Cummings 5, Xavier Johnson 4, Landon Cummings 3, A. J. Stephens 6, Kaiden Filmore, Xavion Pittman 1, Jayum Brown 2, Tarique Leggette 2, Josiah Billings, Caleb Daniels 6.

West Bladen (47) - Jackson Pait 4, Hezekiah Adams 9, Tylik McCall 12, Kendell Lesane 4, Keonta Hill, Conner Monroe, Jamari Adams-Peterson, Ty'Leak Ballard, Chase Williams 18, Hunter Hester.