03/27/2024
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong

Senior Lacey Suggs pumped in 18 points, and East Bladen opened up a 31-5 halftime lead en route to a 46-16 Four County Conference girls basketball victory at West Bladen Tuesday night.

Suggs tallied 12 of her points in the first half and also grabbed 8 rebounds. Senior guard Abby Ward dished out 9 assists, scored 8 points and was credited with 8 steals.

Freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson followed with 8 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Senior Christiana Cromartie anchored the Lady Eagle defense with 9 blocked shots and collected 9 rebounds and 6 points.

Freshman Ashley Hardin pulled down 8 rebounds, and junior Emily Scott snatched 7 rebounds.

Junior Laikyn Pait sparked the Lady Knight offense with 9 points and 5 rebounds. Junior Akira Grimes led West on the boards with 8 rebounds. Junior Jerena Purdie followed with 5 rebounds, and junior Logan Autry had 4 rebounds.

Suggs drove for a lay-up, canned a corner jumper and 2 free throws to key a 10-0 opening run for the Lady Eagles. Scott and Cromartie popped in jumpers during the run.

Pait flipped in a baseline runner for the first West basket, but Ward’s pass found Hardin inside for a lay-up and a 12-2 lead at the quarter break.

Suggs dropped in 3 lay-ups in the second period. Ward drove for a pair of lay-ups and tossed in a runner, and Moore-Peterson raced to the basket for 3 lay-ups and tacked on a free throw as the lead grew to 31-2. Pait nailed a 3-point shot from the left wing to end the half.

Cromartie hit from 10 feet to begin the third quarter, but West freshman Erika McKoy threw in a runner. Hardin and Suggs made 2 free throws each, and Ward buried a 17-footer for a 40-7 lead.

Autry fired in a jumper from the key, but Suggs sank a 12-footer for a 42-9 score at the quarter break.

Cromartie banked in a turn-around, and Suggs converted a Miller Heustess assist into a lay-up with 6:31 remaining.

Pait pulled up for a 10-footer, and Grimes nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing. Pait connected on another one-hander from 6 feet to close out the scoring.

“I am pleased with the win,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “We have got to be smarter with the ball. When we take the press off, it stalls our offense. We generate a lot of offense off of our defense.”

“Each player has got to improve or we won’t go any further in the play-offs than we did last year,” continued Coach Evers. “We hustled tonight, but we have to get better.”

Coach Rick Rhoda’s Knights played man-to-man defense from start to finish against the Lady Eagles. “This year is a learning phase,” said Coach Rhoda. “We have to learn to play man-to-man. I think tonight was good for us in the learning process. I am proud of my girls.”

The Lady Eagles remained unbeaten in league play at 7-0 and overall at 17-0. East Bladen will entertain Midway Friday night. West Bladen is now 3-3 in league play and 5-10 overall. West will host Union Friday night.

East Bladen (46) – Abby Ward 8, Lexie Mendell, Michelle Page, Shardajah Brown, Emily Scott 2, Lacey Suggs 18, Miller Heustess, Danielle McDowell, Christiana Cromartie 6, Ashley Hardin 4, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 8.

West Bladen (16) – Alanna Ludlum, Erika McKoy 2, Patience Parker, Kassidy Anderson, Logan Autry 2, Laikyn Pait 9, Elizabeth Allbright, Akira Grimes 3, Jerena Purdie.

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