Ishmael Baldwin scored 22 points and Jaquan Wooten added 15 as South Lenoir’s boys basketball team defeated East Duplin 62-44 on Monday in the first round of the East Central 2A Conference tournament at Richlands High.
Baldwin added eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks to fill the stat sheet on a night when the fourth-seeded Blue Devils (12-8) had no trouble finding the basket. They shot 49 percent (23 for 47) and hit 15 of 20 free throws as they built a 14-8 first quarter lead and led 32-20 at halftime.
Wooten added eight rebounds and seven blocks and Jonte Midgette scored 10 points for South Lenoir, which will face top-seeded Clinton, a 58-37 winner of No. 8 Swansboro, in a semifinal at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
JONES SENIOR 82, DIXON 80 OT: At Dixon, Eric Dudley Jr.’s half-court heave at the buzzer fell through as the fifth-seeded Trojans knocked off No. 4 Dixon in the opening round of the Coastal Plains 1A Conference tournament.
Rhysante’ Ellis scored 44 points for Jones Senior (x-x), which will play top-seeded East Carteret in a semifinal game at Lejeune High School at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Other area scores:
BOYS
Wilson Beddingfield 73, Greene Central 53
GIRLS
Ayden-Grifton 75, Spring Creek 40
Tarboro 49, Greene Central 41 OT
Triton 44, N. Lenoir 37