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| WHS hoops leader West Columbus guard Chaz Everette cuts toward the basket while being defended by Whiteville’s Sprandon Mahoney in Tuesday night’s high school basketball game at the WHS gym. Everette scored 19 points to help lead West Columbus to a 51-40 victory. Also pictured is West Columbus’ Chris Smith. West Columbus will travel to take on East Columbus Friday. Staff photos by Mark Gilchrist |
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| Whiteville’s Sprandon Mahoney is guarded by West Columbus’ Mike Bilal in Tuesday’s game between the longtime rivals. |
Wolfpack 51-40
By DAN BISER
Sports Editor
After giving up an average of 87.5 points in their two season-opening games with Heide Trask, the West Columbus Vikings made it a point to step up their defense Tuesday night in their key non-conference basketball battle with the Whiteville Wolfpack.
In the end, it was defense that showed up for both sides as West Columbus claimed a 51-40 victory over their longtime rival on the WHS homecourt.
“We definitely gave up a lot fewer points,” said veteran Viking coach Michael Powell, whose team had beaten Trask 100-90 in the season opener before falling to the Titans 85-82 in a rematch. “Both teams played hard. We got off to a pretty strong start and that ended up working in our favor.”
Senior Chaz Everette led the Vikings with a game-high 19 points. West Columbus led the entire game with a 19-9 advantage after one quarter and 30-17 margin at the half. Mikey Bilal had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Vikings.
Whiteville, which was playing under a new head coach for the first time since 1979, twice cut the Viking lead to six in the second half, but West Columbus responded both times and went on to put its record at 2-1. It was the fourth straight win for the Vikings over Whiteville, dating back to the final regular-season game of 2005.
New WHS coach Tyrone Frink, who stepped in to fill the coaching position left by the retirement of Glenn McKoy after 27 seasons, said numerous mistakes in execution and poor shooting were among the reasons for the loss in the WHS season opener.
“It was the first night out and we just didn’t get the job done,” said Frink, who is a 1982 graduate of West Columbus where was taught and coached by Powell. “I take the blame for it because we should have been better prepared.
“We have a long way to go,” he added.
Alex Royal scored 12 points to lead Whiteville.
Whiteville, under new head coach Dudley Revels, won the girls game 70-39 after building a 42-12 halftime lead.
Senior guard Talena Faison scored 26 points to lead the win. Junior forward Paige McCallum bucketed 14 points but was assessed with a double-technical foul in the second quarter and was disqualified from further play in the game. Portia Baldwin scored 12 points.
Andrea Godwin had 13 points for West Columbus, followed by Amber Hanson with 13. The West Columbus girls, who snapped a 37-game losing streak last Friday with a home victory over Trask, is now 1-2.
Whiteville played host to West Bladen Wednesday night (see result in A-section). West Columbus will travel to play East Columbus on Friday.
GIRLS GAME
| W. Columbus |
6
|
6
|
16
|
11
|
-
|
39
|
| Whiteville |
11
|
20
|
13
|
15
|
-
|
70
|
WEST COLUMBUS (39): Faulk 2, Strickland 2, Singletary 1, Hanson 11, Baker 3, Jones 2, Thompson 1, Ward 4, Godwin 13.
WHITEVILLE (70): Gore 7, Turner 2, Faison 26, Jordan 1, McDonald 4, McCallum 14, Manning 4, Baldwin 12.
BOYS GAME
| W. Columbus |
19
|
11
|
12
|
7
|
-
|
51
|
| Whiteville |
9
|
8
|
15
|
8
|
-
|
40
|
WEST COLUMBUS (51): George 2, Bilal 12, Smith 8, Ward 3, Hayes 3, Everette 19, Cisneros 2.
WHITEVILLE (40): Abdullah 7, Grant 6, Clark 2, Godfrey 2, Mahoney 7, Jordan 4, Royal 12 .