DUBLIN – With a 19-point fourth-quarter charge, the West Columbus Vikings rallied to a 50-44 victory over regular-season champion West Bladen to claim the Southeastern 1A-2A Conference Basketball Tournament championship at the West Bladen gym.

With senior Chaz Everette scoring 13 points and senior Mikey Bilal scoring 12, the Vikings rallied from a 37-31 lead by the host Knights after three quarters to claim their second straight Southeastern Conference boys tournament title.
West Columbus, now with a 21-3 record, will play host to Lejeune tonight at 7 in the opening round of the state 1A playoffs. A win tonight would have them playing host to the winner of tonight’s Wallace-Rose Hill vs. Princeton game in Wednesday’s second-round action. Wallace-Rose Hill is the defending state 1A champion.

West Bladen, also 21-3, will entertain Whiteville (7-15) tonight at 7 the opening round of the state 2A playoffs.

WCHS coach Michael Powell said that his team struggled most of the night against West Bladen, but that it stepped up its play in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t play very well but still managed to come away with it,” said Powell, whose Vikings have handed West Bladen two of its three losses this season.

A 3-point shot by Bilal ignited West Columbus’ fourth-quarter surge. Everette had 10 rebounds and eight steals for the Vikings.

West Bladen’s Jamel Hall scored a game-high 19 points and Reggie Fenwick had 12.

In the girls tournament championship game, regular-season champion Red Springs defeated East Bladen 57-39. Red Springs will entertain South Columbus Tuesday in the opening round of the state 2A playoffs.

WEST COLUMBUS (50): Bilal 12, Smith 6, Ward 6, Leggett 3, Hayes 3, Everett 13, Cisneros 6, Bullock 2.

WEST BLADEN (44): McKoy 2, Drake 4, Hall 19, Gore 5, Fenwick 12, Bracey 2.