WILMINGTON – Junior Laila Smith and sophomore Ariel Cromartie combined for 35 points Thursday to lead East Bladen to a 50-36 girls’ basketball victory over previously unbeaten Laney in the Hoggard Holiday Classic.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles improved to 9-1 and will play Topsail Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the Hoggard Holiday Classic.
Laila Smith topped the East scoring with 19 points and netted a trio of baskets in the opening quarter as the Lady Eagles raced to a 14-5 lead. Cromartie who finished with 16 points drilled in a 3-point shot and another basket, sophomore Niyah Wooten flipped in a basket, and sophomore Cabria Baldwin netted a free throw.
Two more baskets and a free throw from Laila Smith, and buckets from Cromartie and Baldwin stretched the East lead to 23-10 at halftime.
Cromartie popped in 2 more baskets and 2 free throws in the 3rd quarter. Laila Smith pumped in a basket and 2 free throws, Iveonna “NeNe” Ward buried a 3-point shot, Baldwin pumped in a basket, and senior Zoe Smith cashed in 2 free throws as the margin swelled to 40-22.
Laila Smith threw in 2 more baskets in the final period. Cromartie canned a basket and a free throw, Wooten battled inside for another basket, and Zoe Smith swished a free throw to close out the East scoring.
Baldwin finished with 5 points for the winners, and Wooten contributed 4 points. Junior Aniece Lewis nailed a trio of 3-point shots and led Laney with 9 points. Senior Lauren Bastable followed with 8 points.
East Bladen 14 9 17 10 — 50
Laney 5 5 12 14 — 36
East Bladen (50) — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 3, Ariel Cromartie 16, Cabria Baldwin 5, Zoe Smith 3, Laila Smith 19, Niyah Wooten 4.
Laney (36) — Addison Dixon, Aniece Lewis 9, Lauren Bastable 8, Tisha Mathis 2, Meadow Shepard 6, Piper Conklin 5, Mariangel Duque, Savannah Herrmann 6, Halle Dickerson, Amiyah Lewis, Edie Zeldin, Zion Munn.
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