Both Bladen County girls basketball teams reached the state playoffs, after they played a classic overtime game in their final meeting of the regular season. Several Bladen athletes playing in college had outstanding seasons, and two female basketball legends from the 1980’s were honored by their respective colleges.
Senior Patience Ward’s 31 points led Coach Patty Evers’ East Bladen Lady Eagles to a 60-58 victory over Clinton in the opening round of the state playoffs. The Lady Eagles were eliminated by top-seeded Farmville Central in the second round and finished with a 22-5 record.
https://bladencounty.org/nchsaa-class-2a-girls-basketball-playoffs-east-bladen-60-clinton-58/
West Bladen’s girls qualified for the state playoffs by defeating Whiteville 38-31 in a play-in game that determined third place in the Three Rivers Conference. Coach Brian McCleney’s Lady Knights were eliminated in the opening round by No. 3 seed Kinston but won 16 games for the first time since 2013.
https://bladencounty.org/three-rivers-girls-basketball-play-in-game-west-bladen-38-whiteville-31
Former East Bladen stars Eian Hines and Ethan Hines played key roles as their Mt. Olive team won their 4th consecutive Conference Carolinas Indoor Track & Field Championships team title.
https://bladencounty.org/eian-and-ethan-hines-lead-mt-olive-to-conference-championship/
Eian Hines had been named the conference’s Player of the Week earlier in February.
https://bladencounty.org/eian-hines-named-conference-field-athlete-of-the-week/
Former West Bladen star Sayaun Dent was named the Region 10 Player of the Year and led his Sandhills Community College Flyers to the Region 10 Championship.
https://bladencounty.org/sayaun-dent-named-region-10-player-of-the-year/
Lacey Suggs fired in 18 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for her UNC-Wilmington career.
https://bladencounty.org/lacey-suggs-hits-1000-point-milestone-at-unc-w/
Clarkton native Sheila Ford Duncan who led UNC-Asheville to a national championship and was named National Player of the Year in 1984 was recognized by having her jersey retired.
Sheila Ford Duncan’s Jersey Retired at UNC-Asheville – BladenOnline.com
East Bladen grad Sharon McDowell was inducted into the UNC-Wilmington Athletic Hall of Fame. McDowell played for the UNCW women’s basketball team from 1984-1988.
https://bladencounty.org/sharon-mcdowell-inducted-into-uncw-hall-of-fame/
Patience Ward beat the regulation buzzer with a game-tying basket as East Bladen rallied for an overtime win over West Bladen in a girls basketball classic.
https://bladencounty.org/girls-basketball-east-bladen-46-west-bladen-39-overtime/
East Bladen defeated West Bladen 50-42 in the second boys meeting of the season between the two rivals.
https://bladencounty.org/boys-basketball-east-bladen-50-west-bladen-42
Iveonna Ward threw in 19 points to lead Elizabethtown Middle’s Lady Cougars to a 37-24 victory over Bladenboro and the Waccamaw AA Division girls basketball title.
https://bladencounty.org/elizabethtown-girls-win-waccamaw-aa-division-title
The Clarkton School of Discovery Lady Blue Devils claimed a share of the Waccamaw A Division girls basketball championship with a 21-20 victory over Hallsboro.
https://bladencounty.org/middle-school-girls-basketball-clarkton-school-of-discovery-21-hallsboro-20
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