Varsity Girls Basketball: West Bladen 51, Midway 49.

DUNN, NC – Junior Micheala Hester rallied West Bladen with a pair of key baskets in the final 2 minutes, and junior Kali Allen poured in 21 points as the Lady Knights edged Midway 51-49 Friday night in Southeastern Athletic Conference basketball action.

Coach Alvin Thompson’s Lady Knights moved into a tie for 5th place with the Lady Raiders. Both teams have 1-7 league records, and both teams have games this week against 4th place Red Springs (2-6) – West Bladen on Friday and Midway on Tuesday.

Senior Holland Davis sank a free throw to trim the Midway lead to 49-45 with 2:08 remaining. Hester popped in a baseline 4-footer off an assist from freshman Amiya McCarty then nailed a 3-point shot to vault West ahead 50-49 with 1:04 left.

Davis tossed in a free throw to pad the lead to 51-49 with 10 seconds left. Midway missed a free throw with 1.8 seconds on the clock, and a violation on the 2nd free throw gave West possession.

Allen fired in five 3-point shots – 3 in the 3rd period - and topped the Lady Knight scoring. Davis finished with 9 points for the winners. Hester connected on a pair of 3-point shots and tallied 8 points, and senior Alina Chaves tossed in 8 points.

Junior Peyton Herring scored 6 of her 21 points for Midway in the opening period as the Lady Raiders built a 14-9 lead. Senior teammate Kara Beth Benton finished with 9 points.

Allen pumped in a basket and 2 free throws in the 1st quarter for West. Davis threw in a basket and a free throw, and Chaves dropped in a basket.

Allen fired in a pair of 3-pointers in the 2nd period, and Hester and freshman JaNya McKeithan drained one 3-ball each in the quarter. Davis and Chaves netted a basket each to trim the Midway lead to 28-25 at halftime.

Chaves began the 3rd period with a free throw, and Allen swished a 3-ball from the left wing to narrow the gap to 34-29. Freshman Addison Wilcox connected on a 16-footer from the corner to cut the Midway lead to 36-31.

Allen stole the ball and drilled in a 3-pointer to whittle the lead to 36-34. Davis cashed in 2 free throws to tie the game at the 1:31 mark.

After Herring’s basket edged Midway ahead, Allen sank 2 free throws to tie the game then blistered the nets with another corner 3-ball that vaulted the Lady Knights in front 41-38 at the quarter break.

Chaves began the final period with a free throw then banked in a 12-footer to tie the game at 44-44 before 5 Midway points produced a 49-44 lead.

West Bladen (51) - Kali Allen 21, Addison Wilcox 2, Micheala Hester 8, Jahyrah Priest, Amiya McCarty, Holland Davis 9, JaNya McKeithan 3, Alina Chaves 8, Saniya Martin.  

Midway (49) – Kara Beth Benton 9, Avery Strickland 2, Peyton Herring 21, Lindsey Royal 4, Kyleigh Stonerock 5, Katie Vann 3, Ella Clark 3, McKenna Brooks 2.