By John Clark
ELIZABETHTOWN – Juniors Laila Smith and Iveonna “NeNe” Ward combined for 30 points in the 2nd half and led East Bladen to a 51-36 non-conference girls’ basketball victory over West Brunswick Friday night.
Laila Smith scored 17 of her 21 points in the 2nd half and captured 11 rebounds to record a double-double. The athletic forward also came up with 5 steals. Ward tossed in 13 of her 21 points after halftime and added 5 steals and 2 assists.
Sophomore Ariel Cromartie contributed 7 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds to the Lady Eagle attack. Sophomore Niyah Wooten pulled down 6 rebounds. Sophomore Cabria Baldwin and senior Zoe Smith grabbed 4 rebounds each.
The teams battled to a 19-19 tie at halftime. Laila Smith banked in an 8-footer, hurled a long pass to Cromartie for a lay-up then sank 2 free throws for a 25-22 Lady Eagle lead.
Brooklyn Coble pulled up for an 8-footer, and Hailey Woodard put back a rebound to edge the Lady Trojans ahead 26-25. After West missed 2 free throws, Laila Smith dashed end-to-end for a lay-in and a 27-26 East lead at the 3:44 mark.
Ward hit a free throw, drove for a lay-up, banked in a 16-footer then converted a Cromartie assist into a lay-up. Laila Smith popped in an 8-footer to push the Lady Eagle lead to 36-28 at the quarter break.
Laila Smith pumped in a trio of short jumpers to start the final period. Ward hooked in a lay-up for a 44-30 East lead. Junior Saniya Stanley rallied West with a lay-up and a follow shot, and Coble’s transition lay-up sliced the margin to 45-36 with 2:19 left.
Cromartie delivered assists to Laila Smith and Ward for lay-ups, and Ward stole the ball and sprinted for another lay-up with 50 seconds left.
It was the 3rd game in 4 days for East Bladen, and Coach Patty Evers thought they came out a little flat. “We got going and built a little bit of a lead in the 3rd period, and the girls played more carefree,” said Evers. “These girls have to learn to fight through adversity. They haven’t had to do that yet.”
Coble led the Lady Trojans with 9 points, and Woodard and Grace Kitchen followed with 8 points each. Stanley corralled 11 rebounds for West.
Cromartie opened the game with a pair of lay-ups off Ward assists and tacked on a free throw. Ward nailed a 3-point shot, and Baldwin hooked in an 8-footer. Ward turned a steal into a lay-up and netted a free throw for a 13-6 Lady Eagle lead at the quarter break.
Laila Smith scooped in a runner to push the lead to 15-6, but Woodard drilled in a 3-pointer and drove for a reverse lay-up to trim the margin to 15-13. Laila Smith answered with a short jumper, and Ward stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up and a 19-15 lead.
Jahyra Mastey drove for a layup, and Ja’kya Johnson’s follow shot tied the game 19-19 at intermission.
The Lady Eagles improved to 6-1 and will host South Columbus Thursday night. West Brunswick, now 5-2, will visit Laney Tuesday night.
West Brunswick 6 13 9 8 — 36
East Bladen 13 6 17 15 — 51
West Brunswick (36) — Maddie Richardson 2, Jahyra Mastey 2, Brooklyn Coble 9, Hailey Woodard 8, Nhikeya Williams, Abbey Wilkes, Saniya Stanley 2, Grace Kitchen 8, Ja’kya Johnson 4.
East Bladen (51) — Iveonna ‘NeNe’ Ward 21, Nevaeh Brown, Ariel Cromartie 7, Cabria Baldwin 2, Tatum Allen, Zoe Smith, Laila Smith 21, Nia McKoy, Niyah Wooten.
About Author
