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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – Juniors Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson and Erica McKoy combined for 13 points during a 17-10 East Bladen surge that carried the Lady Eagles to a 49-42 Three Rivers Conference girls basketball victory over East Columbus Tuesday night.
The third quarter ended in a 32-32 tie, and free throws from Hope Freeman and Shynicquel Watson edged the Lady Gators ahead 34-32. East Bladen junior Anna Kate White tossed in a baseline jumper to tie the game 34-34.
Guard Tia Campbell hit a free throw for a 35-34 East Columbus lead, but Moore-Peterson drove to the basket to vault the Lady Eagles ahead to stay at 36-35 with 5:12 on the clock.
McKoy hauled in a long pass from Moore-Peterson for a lay-up, and another Moore-Peterson assist resulted in a lay-in by East Bladen sophmore Patience Ward. A McKoy free throw boosted the Lady Eagle lead to 41-35 with 3:29 remaining.
Moore-Peterson banged in a rebound basket, and a McKoy free throw padded the lead to 44-37. Freeman buried a 3-point shot to pull East Columbus to within 44-40 with 1:13 left.
McKoy sank 2 free throws, and Moore-Peterson made 3 of 4 as the Lady Eagles held on for the win.
“We were lucky to get the win,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “They outworked us. Our girls need to learn how to get ready to play. We have a better team than we showed tonight.”
Ward topped the East Bladen scoring with 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds before fouling out in the final two minutes. Moore-Peterson pumped in 13 points and dished out 6 assists. McKoy finished with 11 points and 5 assists. Sophmore Lorna Mendell blocked 5 shots.
Moore-Peterson threw in a pair of first quarter baskets, and Mendell and senior Shardajah Brown added a basket each as East Bladen built an 8-4 lead.
Ward rang up a trio of baskets and canned a trio of free throws for 9 second-period points that stretched the East Bladen lead to 23-17. McKoy, Brown and Moore-Peterson netted a basket each in the quarter.
Three more Ward lay-ups – two set up by Moore-Peterson assists – extended the East Bladen lead to 29-21. A pair of Watson baskets sparked an 8-0 Lady Gator blitz that tied the game 29-29. A lay-up and a free throw by McKoy kept the Lady Eagles even 32-32 at the quarter break.
Campbell topped the East Columbus scoring with 15 points. Watson followed with 7 points, and Freeman tallied 6 points.
East Bladen, now 6-1 in league play and 10-1 overall, will travel to West Bladen Friday night.
EAST BLADEN (42) – Katie Evans, Erica McKoy 11, Kaley Smith, Izzy Smith, Shardajah Brown 4, Anna Kate White 2, Patience Ward 17, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 13, Lorna Mendell 2.
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