DUBLIN — West Bladen was forced to rally from a halftime deficit, and a big second half led the Knights to a 50-40 Four County Conference win over visiting Wallace-Rose Hill on Wednesday.

The win improved West Bladen to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in the conference, as well as pushed the winning streak to 12 games.

The Knights got a pair of baskets from Jonathan Robinson to open an 8-5 edge after the first quarter, but the Bulldogs went on a 15-8 run through the second stanza to take a 20-16 lead into halftime.

Coach Travis Pait’s boys came out of the intermission refocused and put 17 points on the board in the third quarter, led by Sayaun Dent’s six points, and regained the lead at 33-28 going into the fourth frame.

Dent continued to find the basket in the fourth quarter, canning eight points and leading the 17-12 West Bladen charge to seal the win.

Dent led the Knights with 16 points, while John Bowen contributed 10 points.

West Bladen will travel to Midway on Friday for an 8 p.m. conference game.

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Lady Knights rebound

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The Lady Knights put three players in double figures and rebounded into the win column with a 48-38 Four County Conference win over Wallace-Rose Hill on Wednesday.

The win improved West Bladen to 8-6 overall, 4-1 in the conference.

The Lady Knights opened a 9-6 edge after the first quarter and, in the second stanza, Akira Grimes drained a three-pointer to push the lead to 19-13 at halftime.

The lady Bulldogs used a 6-0 run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-19, but West Bladen answered with an 8-2 burst to finish the period with a 29-21 lead.

The Lady Knights used a 19-17 advantage in the fourth frame to seal the 10-point win.

Laikyn Pait led West Bladen with 14 points and grabbed six boards; Jerena Purdie contributed 13 points and six rebounds; and Grimes added 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Lady Knights will play a conference game at Midway on Friday at 6 p.m.

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Eagles’ rally falls short

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In Elizabethtown on Wednesday, the Colts of Cape Fear withstood a ferocious East Bladen comeback in the third quarter to pull out an 84-77 non-conference win.

The loss drops the Eagles to 1-13 overall.

Cape Fear used a pair of three-pointers to open a 21-17 lead after the first quarter, despite eight points from Eian Hines and three-pointers from Denzel Johnson and Demetrius Wooten.

The Colts’ long-range shooting stepped up a notch in the second stanza, hitting four three-pointers that helped Cape Fear to a 46-34 lead at intermission. Wooten canned a pair of three-pointers for East Bladen and Hines hit three buckets along the way.

The Eagles came out of halftime firing — and hitting their target. Wooten canned a trio of three-pointers, Johnson hit a pair of three-pointers and Adonis Avery added one long-range bomb to lead the rally that pulled East Bladen to within 63-61 after a 27-15 run through the period.

But in the fourth frame, Cape Fear scored 21 points and the Eagles could only answer with 16.

Hines and Demetrius Wooten each scored 25 points for East Bladen, while Xavier Wooten and Johnson each scored 11.

East Bladen will host Union for a conference game on Friday at 8 p.m.

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Lady Eagles get a ‘W’

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The Lady Eagles jumped out to a first-quarter lead and never looked back, picking up a 39-23 non-conference win over visiting Cape Fear on Wednesday in Elizabethtown.

The win improved East Bladen to 12-3 overall.

The Lady Eagles built a 10-4 lead after the first quarter before the two teams all but traded points through the second stanza. East Bladen managed to put together an 8-7 advantage through the period and took an 18-11 lead into halftime.

Refocuses in the third quarter, the Lady Eagles got a three-pointer from Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson and seven points total to go on a 13-5 spurt through the quarter and take a 31-16 lead into the fourth frame.

East Bladen sealed the win with an 8-7 advantage down the stretch.

Moore-Peterson led the Lady Eagles with 15 points and had eight rebounds. Patience Ward contributed 10 points and also had eight boards, while Emily Scott added eight points, eight rebounds and five steals. Ashley Hardin had seven rebounds and four steals.

East Bladen will host Union for a conference game on Friday at 6 p.m.

W. Curt Vincent can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.

West boys, girls; East girls get wins

W. Curt Vincent

cvincent@civitasmedia.com