03/28/2024
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A familiar foe looms on the horizon Saturday evening as East Bladen’s top-seeded Lady Eagles look to advance in the third round of the NCHSAA Class 2A Girls Basketball Play-offs and claim win No. 30 for the season.

The No. 9 seeded Reidsville Lady Rams (15-11) travel to East Bladen for a 5 p.m. game. Two years ago Reidsville rallied in the final 13 minutes to overcome a 29-21 East Bladen lead and post a 41-37 victory in the 2014 Eastern Regional Semi-finals.

Only 3 players from East Bladen – seniors Lacey Suggs, Abby Ward and Christiana Cromartie – and 2 senior players from Reidsville – 5-8 Tiesha Richardson and 5-6 Bryanna Bonds – who played in that game return for this year’s game.

Suggs who scored 22 points in that 2014 game averages over 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5 steals per game this season. Ward contributes 8.6 points, 7 assists, 6 steals and 3 rebounds per game.

Other key Lady Eagles include: Cromartie (6.4 points, 6 rebounds and 4.3 blocks); senior Miller Heustess (3 points and 3 rebounds) and freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson (9.3 points and 4 rebounds).

Suggs fired in 24 points in Tuesday’s 56-27 opening round victory over St. Pauls. Moore-Peterson tossed in 13 points, and Cromartie added 10 for the Lady Eagles who played without point guard Ward who missed the game with an illness.

In Thursday’s 71-43 second round victory over Southwest Edgecombe, Suggs made 19 of 20 free throws and poured in 33 points. Cromartie and Ward chipped in with 10 points each. A 22-0 East Bladen second half blitz blew open a 35-27 game.

Richardson had 8 points and 5 rebounds in that 2014 regional against East Bladen and has averaged 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 blocked shots, 3 steals and 3 assists this season.

Bonds came off the bench to score 4 points against East two years ago and leads Reidsville in scoring with 15 ppg. Bonds also grabs 4 rebounds per game.

The Lady Rams won the Mid-State Conference regular season with a 9-1 league record and edged Bartlett-Yancey in the Mid-State Tournament finale. Reidsville was only 2-10 against a non-conference schedule that included mostly 3A and 4A opponents plus 3 teams from Virginia.

Reidsville defeated the North Carolina School of Science and Math 41-29 in their first round play-off game then defeated Red Springs 40-24 Thursday night.

Richardson scored 16 of her game-high 20 points against Red Springs in the second half as the Lady Rams pulled away. Bonds added 12 points against the Lady Red Devils. Cold-shooting Red Springs made only 7 of 62 shots from the field against Reidsville.

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