ELIZABETHTOWN- Elizabethtown’s Lady Cougars won the Waccamaw Middle School Conference’s AA Division girls basketball championship Monday with a 37-24 victory over Bladenboro.
Coach Cedric Owens’ Lady Cougars captured the title with a 9-1 league record and 11-1 overall mark. Coach Otis Evans’ Lady Bulldogs finished second with an 8-2 division record and 9-4 overall mark.
Iveonna Ward poured in 19 points to lead the winners. Teammates Laila Smith and Zoe Smith contributed 6 points each, and Ariel Cromartie followed with 4 points. Mallory Bryan led the Lady Bulldogs with 7 points, and Holland Davis and Noria Singletary finished with 6 points each.
Ward raced to the rim for a trio of baskets and a free throw as Elizabethtown took an early 7-4 lead. Bryan and Noria Singletary threw in baskets for Bladenboro.
Zoe Smith drilled in a 3-point shot, Laila Smith canned 2 free throws, and Ward and Niyah Wooten tossed in baskets as the Lady Cougar lead grew to 16-10 at halftime. Davis sank 2 free throws and a basket, and Megan Pait and Kallie Bass cashed in free throws to keep Bladenboro close.
Laila Smith scored a lay-up off of a turnover, and Ariel Cromartie put back a rebound for a 20-10 Elizbethtown lead. Brookee Singletary popped in a free throw and a follow shot, Bryan drove for a lay-up, and Noria Singletary pumped in a 12-footer to pull Bladenboro within 20-17.
Zoe Smith buried a 3-pointer from the right corner, and Ward banked in a runner. Bryan answered with a driving lay-up, but Ward knocked in 2 free throws, and Laila Smith beat the third quarter buzzer with a lay-up that padded the lead to 29-19.
Bryan began the final period with a free throw, and Noria Singletary flipped in a 6-footer off of a Davis assist. Davis drained a 14-footer to trim the Lady Cougar lead to 29-24.
Cromartie hit a baseline 6-footer, and Ward closed out the game with a trio of transition lay-ups.
Bladenboro 4 6 9 5 – 24
Elizabethtown 7 9 13 8 – 37
Bladenboro (24) – Mallory Bryan 7, Megan Pait 1, Holland Davis 6, Marlie Walters, Noria Singletary 6, Trinity Meares, Kallie Bass 1, Brookee Singletary 3.
Elizabethtown (37) – Laila Smith 6, Iveonna Ward 19, Zoe Smith 6, Ariel Cromartie 4, Shabrea Geathers, Arelia Lewis, Niyah Wooten 2.
