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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Sophmore Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson scored 16 points Tuesday night, but it was her pass to freshman Patience Ward that produced a clinching lay-up as East Bladen’s Lady Eagles survived a furious First Flight rally and advanced with a 35-31 victory in the opening round of the NCHSAA Class 2A Girls Basketball Play-offs.
Junior Shardajah Brown popped in a pair of 15-foot jumpers to begin the final quarter that gave the Lady Eagles a 31-19 lead with 7:06 remaining. “I had told Shar to keep shooting,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “Those two shots were huge.”
Jaylan Ulmer fired in a pair of 3-point shots, and Ashley Forbes drove for a pair of lay-ups to spark a 12-2 First Flight run. Emily Scott put back a rebound for the only East Bladen basket during the run.
Forbes’ second driving lay-up cut the Lady Eagle lead to 33-31 with 1:55 left to play. Moore-Peterson split a double-team and found Ward under the basket for the lay-up that made it 35-31 with 50 seconds on the clock. East Bladen then regained possession and ran out the clock.
“This was the hardest play-off win that I have ever coached,” said Coach Evers. “I think it was nerves. We spent too much time thinking and standing around waiting for someone else to do something. But we will take the win.”
Hardin made a free throw, and Moore-Peterson tossed in a 10-footer then nailed a 17-foot jumper for an early 5-2 East lead. Ward put back a rebound, and Moore-Peterson bombed in a pair of 3-point shots that stretched the Lady Eagle lead to 13-8.
Brown nailed a 3-point shot to start the second period and push the East lead to 16-8. First Flight rallied with a 7-0 burst that closed the gap to 16-15 on Jayden Carpenter’s 3-point shot.
Moore-Peterson sank 2 free throws then stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up and a 20-15 East Bladen lead at halftime.
Scott muscled in a follow shot to begin the second half, but Carpenter’s 3-ball pulled First Flight to within 22-18. Senior Yolanda Coston rattled in a 16-footer for East, Moore-Peterson flipped in a transition lay-up and Hardin tacked on a free throw for a 27-19 Lady Eagle lead at the quarter break.
Brown finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. Scott grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. Hardin and Ward pulled down 5 rebounds each. Moore-Paterson had 4 steals, and Coston had 3 steals.
Carpenter led the Lady Nighthawks with 11 points.
East Bladen improved to 22-5 and will travel to Roanoke Rapids Thursday night.
EAST BLADEN (35) – Justyna Gargala, Shardajah Brown 7, Emily Scott 4, Patience Ward 4, Ashley Hardin 2, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 16, Yolanda Coston 2.
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