Varsity Girls Basketball: West Bladen 40, Red Springs 37.

Bladenboro, NC – Senior Holland Davis delivered an assist to junior Jahyrah Priest who banked in the game-winning basket then made a key steal and sank a pair of clinching free throws to secure a 40-37 victory for West Bladen over Red Springs Friday on Senior Night.

Coach Alvin Thompson’s Lady Knights secured 5th place in the Southeastern Athletic Conference with the win and will travel to Red Springs Monday at 6 p.m. to battle the Lady Red Devils again in the opening round of the SAC Tournament.

Davis’ driving lay-up and a pair of free throws by junior Kali Allen stretched West Bladen’s lead to 34-22 with 1:34 left in the 3rd period. Red Springs center Monica Washington answered with a 3-point play and Nakira Hunt banked in an 8-footer to cut the lead to 34-27 at the break.

Baskets by Javonastee McNeil, Washington and Hunt pulled the visitors to within 34-33, before Allen banked in a 6-foot runner over Washington for a 36-33 West lead.

Bailey Locklear tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1:48 on the clock, and a Washington free throw edged Red Springs ahead 37-36 with 53 seconds on the clock.

Priest’s go-ahead basket came at the 31-second mark. Davis intercepted a pass intended for Washington with 15 seconds on the clock then swished 2 free throws with 10 seconds left.

Allen blistered the nets with five 3-point baskets in the 1st half and topped the West scoring with 19 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. Davis finished with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Priest added 4 points and a team-high 8 rebounds, and senior Alina Chaves tallied 4 points.

Hunt led the Lady Red Devils with 15 points, and Washington scored 8 points but captured 14 rebounds.

Freshman Addison Wilcox nailed a 16-footer from the left corner, and Allen drained a pair of 3-pointers from the right wing for an early 8-2 West edge. Allen swished another 3-ball from the wing, and Davis drove for a lay-up and a 13-5 lead.

Davis cashed in 3 of 4 free throws, and Priest netted a foul shot as the Lady Knight lead grew to 17-8 at the quarter break.

Allen started the 2nd period with a 3-pointer from the right corner, and Davis banked in an 8-footer for a 22-11 lead. Allen buried another 3-ball, and Chaves added 2 free throws to keep West up 27-16 at halftime.

Chaves tossed in 2 free throws, and Priest made one to keep West up 30-19, before Bailey Locklear’s 3-ball closed the gap to 30-22.

Red Springs (37) – Javonastee McNeill 5, Rilee Sampson, Bailey Locklear 6, Monica Washington 8, Nakira Hunt 15, Adrianna Locklear 3, Allayah Locklear, Nahayla T.

West Bladen (40) - Kali Allen 19, Addison Wilcox 2, Micheala Hester, Jahyrah Priest 4, Amiya McCarty, Holland Davis 11, JaNya McKeithan, Alina Chaves 4, Saniya Martin.