McCall’s First Half & Team Defense Leads to West Bladen Win 66-30 Over East Columbus

BLADENBORO, NC — Senior Tylik McCall pumped in a game-high 17 points, and West Bladen’s smothering defense carried the Knights to a 66-30 non-conference boys basketball victory over East Columbus Tuesday night. 

The Knights improved to 3-1 and will travel to Kill Devil Hills Thursday for a 4 p.m. game against Currituck in the Good Guys vs Cancer Showcase at First Flight High School. 

“We played horribly last week against a very good team (Hoggard),” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “Practices were not good until yesterday when we had an amazing practice and that carried over into tonight. I challenged them to play hard and every one of them did.”

Senior Jamari Adams-Peterson swished a corner 3-point shot for an early 3-2 West lead, but after senior Demarion Bryant’s free throw, Tyron Keaton’s lay-up gave the Gators a 7-4 lead. 

The Knight defense shutout the Gators for the next 7:27 during a 22-0 run that opened up a 26-7 West lead. Freshman Carnell Lewis ignited the spurt with a runner, and McCall drained a 3-pointer off junior Keonta Hill’s assist. Hill put back a rebound for an 11-7 lead. 

Senior Jackson Pait flipped in a 10-footer, and sophomore Cyncere Jessup turned a Lewis assist into a lay-up. McCall buried another 3-ball and Pait banked in a running 8-footer for a 20-7 lead at the quarter break.

McCall popped in a turn-around 8-footer, and Bryant tossed in a 4-footer. Jessup scored a transition lay-up, before K. J. Thurman snapped the Gator drought with a short bank shot. 

Junior Kendell Lessane nailed a 3-point shot for West. Pait sank 2 free throws, and Adams-Peterson netted one for a 32-14 lead. McCall bombed in 3-balls from the right corner and left wing, and junior Blake Britt drilled in a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 41-16 halftime lead. 

McCall opened the 2nd half with a basket, Hill scored on a goal-tending call, and Lessane and Jaquan Lesane dropped in lay-ups. Britt fired in another 3-pointer, and Adams-Peterson pulled up for an 8-footer. 

Pait and McCall cashed in free throws, Lesane converted a Bryant assist into a lay-up and Bryant scored again on a goal-tending call that stretched the lead to 60-25 and started the mercy-rule running clock 8 seconds before the period ended. 

Pait drove for a reverse lay-up to begin the final quarter. Lesane rippled the nets with a 3-pointer, and junior Ahmbrie Cooper tacked on a free throw for the final margin.

McCall collected 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Pait finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Lesane tallied 7 points, and Hill racked up 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Adams-Peterson chipped in with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 deflections. 

Lessane grabbed 6 rebounds and had 5 points. Jessup followed with 4 points and 5 rebounds. Bryant added 5 steals and 3 rebounds, and Lewis totaled 4 steals and 3 rebounds. 

The Knights limited the Gators to 26 per cent shooting, forced 22 turnovers and were credited with 20 steals in the game. West also held a 43-28 edge in rebounds. 

Jaimeer Hudson led the Gators with 9 points, and Thurman had 8 points. 

East Columbus (30) – K.J. Thurman 8, Adrion Jenrette 5, Ryan Cobb, Zay Hines 2, Tyron Keaton 4, Jaimeer Hudson 9, Rudy Jernigan 2, Tymarion Baldwin, Demetrius Dexter, Brooks McLean, John Dixon, Courtney Whitest, Gabe Graen.

West Bladen (66) – Jackson Pait 9, Demarion Bryant 3, Sayvion Covington, Tylik McCall 17, Kendell Lessane 5, Keonta Hill 6, Jaquan Lesane 7, Jamari Adams-Peterson 6, Carnell Lewis 2, Keon Whittington, Ethan Bourhill, Ahmbrie Cooper 1, Cyncere Jessup 4, Blake Britt 6, Justin Spaulding. 

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McCall’s First Half & Team Defense Leads to West Bladen Win 66-30 Over East Columbus