Pack tops Pender
in double overtime

By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

A controversial 3-point basket by Aaron Clark at the end of regulation set the stage for the Whiteville Wolfpack Tuesday as it went on to take a 79-72 double-overtime victory over the Pender Patriots in the opening round of the Waccamaw 1A-2A Conference Basketball Tournament.

In Tuesday’s other first-round boys games, South Brunswick slipped past South Columbus 64-61, and North Brunswick turned back Trask 66-53.

Whiteville went against Waccamaw Conference regular-season champion East Columbus Wednesday night in tournament semi-final action (see result in A-section).

Whiteville 79
Pender 72 (2ot)

Clark’s 3-point shot from the top of key appeared to have been released after the fourth-quarter buzzer had sounded, but officials ruled that the shot had been released in time to tie the game at 60-all and bring on overtime.

A put-back basket by Whiteville’s Alex Royal in the closing seconds of the first overtime tied the game a 68-all.

In the second overtime, sophomore guard Sprandon Mahoney sparked a strong surge to help the Wolfpack pull out its irst win in three games with the Pender squad.

Whiteville took early leads of 15-7 and 25-11 and did not trail until the final minute of regulation after Pender had rallied behind its pressure defense and some hot shooting by Rayford Hankins.

Mahoney scored a game-high 23 points. Nur Abdullah, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, finished with 20 points. Clark had 12 as Coach Tyrone Frink’s Wolfpack won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Last Friday, WHS closed its regular season schedule with a win over South Columbus.

Renny Harvey scored 19 point to lead Pender, followed by Hankins and Corey Branch with 17 each.

WHITEVILLE (79): Clark 12, Livingston 6, Grant 3, Mahoney 23, Abdullah 20, Best 8, Royal 6, Godfrey 2.

PENDER (72): Blanks 8, Hankins 17, Eanes 3, Ingram 1, Harvey 19, Branch 17, Sutton 7,

South Brunswick 64
South Columbus 61

It was another close loss for South Columbus as the Stallions fell to the second-seeded Cougars and the hot shooting of Ervin Hall.

Hall scored 23 points for South Brunswick, which overcame a 17-8 first-quarter deficit to tie game at 25-all at the half, keeping within five points. A potential game-tying 3-point attempt by Bryant Edwards bounced off the rim and the Cougars controlled the rebound to wrap up the win and gain a berth in tonight’s 7:30 semi-final game with North Brunswick

Kenric Randolf had 12 points for South Brunswick, which put its season record at 18-7.

South Columbus, which closed its season at 5-18, got a strong performance from Derrick Clay, who finished with 17 points. Brandon Keel followed with 14.

SOUTH COLUMBUS (61): Edward 4, J. Vereen 8, R. Vereen 8, Clay 17, Bryant 4, Keel 14, Gerald 2, Belton 3.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK (64): Randolf 12, McNeil 6, Moore 6, Hall 23, Hines 5, Ferguson 4, Waldrep 8.