DUBLIN – Senior Kalvin Page scored 10 of his 18 points in the last 4 minutes as West Bladen rallied from 6 points down to defeat Whiteville 67-63 Thursday night and advance to the championship game of the Woodmen Life Christmas Tournament.
Coach Travis Pait’s Knights (7-2) ran their winning streak to 7 games and will battle Dillon, SC, an 84-77 winner over Fairmont, in Friday’s title game at 8 p.m.
The Wolfpack led 47-42 entering the final period and pushed their lead to 51-45 on Earl Grubbs’ 3-pointer with 7:05 left.
Senior Sayaun Dent beat the Whiteville press for a lay-up that turned into a 3-point play then shoveled in a scoop shot from the baseline to cut the lead to 51-50. Senior John Bowen nailed a 3-point shot from the left wing for a 53-51 West lead with 5:42 on the clock.
Whiteville’s senior star Tyrell Kirk answered with a 15-foot pull-up to tie the game then recovered his own rebound and popped in a short jumper for a 55-53 Wolfpack lead.
West Bladen junior Jonathan Robinson tossed in a 10-footer to tie the game then turned a feed from Page into a lay-up and a 57-55 Knight lead. Page sank 2 foul shots to pad the lead to 59-55, but Whiteville’s Cameron Smith buried his fifth 3-point shot of the game to slice the lead to 59-58 with 3:11 remaining.
The Knights cleared out the right side and Page beat his man for a lay-up and a 61-58 lead. After a missed Whiteville free throw, another clear-out resulted in another Page lay-up with a free throw tacked on for a 64-58 lead at the 1:39 mark.
Another Smith 3-ball sliced the lead to 64-61 with 1:03 left, but Page made 3 of 4 free throws for a 67-61 lead with 23 seconds remaining.
“Teams are paying so much attention to John (Bowen) and Sayaun (Dent) that we have been expecting this,” said Knight Coach Travis Pait. “Kalvin can drive and score the basketball, and the good thing is he’s not forcing it.”
John Bowen fired in 16 of his 22 points in the first half and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Dent finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Robinson added 7 points and a team-high 11 rebounds as the Knights held a 28-22 edge on the boards.
“Jonathan played out of this world tonight,” said Coach Pait. “He can consistently hit that shot he made in the fourth quarter tonight.”
Page drove through the Wolfpack defense for a pair of first quarter lay-ups, and John Bowen drove for a lay-in and a 7-5 West lead. John Bowen and Dent canned 2 free throws each to keep the Knights even 11-11 at the first quarter break.
The Knights opened the second period with a 9-0 run. John Bowen buried a 3-ball, and slammed in a dunk off of a pass from Page. Dent made 2 free throws, and Page drove for another lay-up and a 20-11 lead.
Smith drained a 3-ball to stop the run, and Kirk pulled up for a 15-footer that turned into a 3-point play and whittled the lead to 22-18.
Robinson muscled in a rebound, John Bowen drilled a 3-pointer then stole the ball and raced for a lay-up and a 29-20 West lead with 1:38 on the clock. Kirk hit from 15 feet and Smith and Cameron Richardson scored transition lay-ups as Whiteville pulled to within 29-26.
Scott Bowen nailed a 3-point shot that gave the Knights a 32-26 halftime lead.
Smith and Kirk combined for 12 points as the Wolfpack opened the second half with a 15-3 spurt that produced a 41-35 lead at the 3:02 mark. Page beat the Whiteville pressure for a lay-up, and Dent made 5 of 6 free throws that narrowed the gap to 44-42 before Smith knocked in another 3-pointer to up the count to 47-42 at the quarter break.
“Jimmy (Williams) hit a big shot for us in the second half, and Scott hit a big one in the first half, “ said Coach Pait. “This group is coming together as a team. This was a good win for us.”
Smith topped all scorers with 24 points for the Wolfpack, and Kirk finished with 19 points. Whiteville, now 3-3, will play Three Rivers Conference rival Fairmont at 6 p.m. Friday in the third-place game.
WEST BLADEN (67) – Kalvin Page 18, Scott Bowen 3, Jimmy Williams 2, Keshawn Lewis, Drew Harris, Sayaun Dent 15, Gerardo Reyes, Jonathan Robinson 7, John Bowen 22.
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