ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson pumped in 22 points to lead East Bladen to a 46-34 Three Rivers Conference girls basketball victory over St. Pauls Monday night.
Moore-Peterson grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and came up with 3 steals. Sophomore Patience Ward and junior Erica McKoy finished with 8 points each.
McKoy and junior Ashley Hardin collected 3 steals, and Hardin pulled down a team-high 9 rebounds. Senior Shardajah Brown grabbed 6 rebounds.
Rebound baskets by freshman Lorna Mendell and Moore-Peterson kept the Lady Eagles even early at 4-4. Ward banked in a runner, and Moore-Peterson stole the ball and raced for a lay-up and an 8-4 lead.
Junior Anna Kate White popped in a 12-footer, and Moore-Peterson muscled in a baseline jumper through heavy traffic to put the Lady Eagles up 12-7 at the quarter break.
Moore-Peterson buried a 3-point shot to begin the second period then sank a free throw. Hardin hit a pair of free throws, and Ward banked in a transition basket then flipped in a runner for a 22-12 East Bladen halftime lead.
Moore-Peterson knocked down a pair of 3-point shots and made 3 free throws to key an 11-7 East Bladen surge in the third quarter. McKoy connected on a 14-footer in the period.
McKoy pumped in a baseline jumper then stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up and a 37-19 Lady Eagle lead 23 seconds into the final quarter.
St. Pauls rallied with a 12-2 spurt to pull within 39-31 with 4:14 left on the clock. Moore-Peterson sank 3 free throws, and McKoy and Ward hit two free throws each to seal the victory.
“It was ugly,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “I am glad we got the win, but we didn’t play well.”
Judiah Simms-Moore scored 9 points to lead St. Pauls.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles improved to 5-1 in league play and 7-1 overall. East Bladen will host Wallace-Rose Hill Wednesday night in the opening round of the East Bladen Holiday Classic.
EB (46) – Katie Evans, Erica McKoy 8, Kaley Smith, Izzy Smith, Shardajah Brown 2, Anna Kate White 2, Abbie Cross, Kabarah Moore, Patience Ward 8, Ashley Hardin 2, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 22, Lorna Mendell 2.
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