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Photos contributed by Kenneth Armstrong
North Pitt 55, East Bladen 37
FAYETTEVILLE – North Pitt opened the game with an 18-2 run that proved to be the difference as the Lady Panthers defeated East Bladen 55-37 in the NCHSAA Class 2A Girls Eastern Regional Championship game in Crown Arena.
Slow starts have been a problem for the Lady Eagles in the play-offs, most notably in their second round victory over Reidsville when they fell behind 18-4.
“It didn’t surprise me,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers about the slow start. “I talked yesterday at practice about how we couldn’t afford to fall behind this team. They were too good for that.”
Play was very physical in the opening quarter as only two fouls were called –one on each team. Guard TyQuishia Gainer scored 4 transition lay-ups and added 2 free throws to lead North Pitt to the 14-2 lead at the quarter break.
Senior Christiana Cromartie popped in a 10-footer at the 2:42 mark for the only Lady Eagle basket in the period.
Gainer hooked in a runner, and sophmore Nyjanique Langley dropped in a lay-up to push the lead to 18-2 with 4:45 left before halftime.
Senior Lacey Suggs sank 2 free throws, then nailed a 3-point shot off of a kick-out pass from senior Abby Ward. Cromartie hit 2 free throws to slice the margin to 18-9.
Suggs beat the Lady Panthers down the floor for a pair of transition lay-ups, then pulled up for a 10-footer that narrowed the gap to 22-15. The Lady Eagles turned the ball over on another fast-break, and North Pitt’s Langley converted the steal into a lay-up for a 24-15 halftime lead.
“We didn’t have any offense in the first quarter, but I thought we played a decent second quarter,” said Coach Evers.
Ward drained a 3-point shot from the right corner to begin the second half. After a Gainer lay-up, Ward buried another 3-ball from the right side to close the gap to 26-21.
Gainer scored another lay-up, but Suggs answered with a driving lay-up. Freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson popped in a baseline 12-footer to pull East Bladen to within 28-25 with 4:20 remaining in the quarter.
Cassandra Watson made a lay-up, and Ta’Shada Joseph canned a 17-footer to up the count to 32-25, but Ward drilled a 17-footer off of a Suggs pitch-out to keep East within 32-27 with 1:36 on the clock.
North Pitt closed the period with a follow-shot from 6-foot Dorian Sharp and a Langley runner that widened the gap to 36-27.
Langley turned a Sharp feed into a lay-up, then pulled up for a 12-footer to start the final quarter. Sharp put back another rebound, and Gainer hit a foul shot to extend the lead to 43-27 at the 5:26 mark.
“We kind of deflated when they got the lead to 13,” continued Coach Evers. “I thought we could make a run, but it just didn’t happen. We went to a half-court defense, but we couldn’t full-court press them. They were just too quick.”
Suggs banked in a 10-foot leaner through traffic, but senior Quandramec Moore bombed in a 3-pointer for North Pitt.
Cromartie and Suggs tossed in a free throw each, then Suggs drove the baseline for a lay-up that whittled the margin to 46-33 with 3:29 left.
With Langley and Sharp combining for 9 straight transition points, the Lady Panthers extended their lead to 55-33.
In the final minute Lady Eagle freshman Ashley Hardin turned an assist from junior Michelle Page into a lay-up, and sophmore Shardajah Brown fired in a 17-footer.
Suggs posted another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. “I told Lacey she had to keep going inside, even though it was tough in there. She didn’t quit,” said Coach Evers.
Ward finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. “Abby had a really good second half, “ noted Evers. Junior Emily Scott and Moore-Peterson grabbed 7 rebounds each. Cromartie added 5 points.
Gainer racked up a double-double for North Pitt with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Langley finished with 17 points, and Sharp was a force inside with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.
“They are really good,” said Coach Evers. “They have length and quickness. We had some turnovers that we don’t usually have, but we have no excuses.”
“I am really proud of this team,” added Evers. “31-1 is good for anybody. I am really grateful for all the support from our fans and the community. These seniors only lost 11 games in 4 years – 102-11 – not many teams can say that.”
East Bladen (37) – Abby Ward 8, Lexie Mendell, Michelle Page, Shardajah Brown 2, Emily Scott, Lacey Suggs 18, Miller Heustess, Danielle McDowell, Christiana Cromartie 5, Ashley Hardin 2, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 2.
North Pitt (55) – Nyjanique Langley 17, Ta’Shada Joseph 2, Dorian Sharp 12, TyQushia Gainer 17, Quondramec Moore 5, Cassandra Watson 2.
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