By John Clark
ELIZABETHTOWN – Junior guard Iveonna “NeNe” Ward fired in 10 of her game-high 23 points during a 20-2 2nd period blitz that propelled East Bladen to a 52-27 non-conference girls’ basketball victory over Wallace-Rose Hill Wednesday.
Sophomore Niyah Wooten just missed a double-double with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 6 steals for the Lady Eagles. Ward was also close to a double-double with 8 steals and 3 assists. Junior Laila Smith totaled 5 points and 4 steals. Sophomore Cabria Baldwin grabbed 6 rebounds, and freshman Taylor Dowless snared 5 rebounds. Sophomore Ariel Cromartie collected 3 steals.
Ward nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner to start the game then stole the ball and delivered an assist to Cromartie for a lay-up and a quick 5-0 lead. Ward sank 2 free throws 5 minutes later to account for the only Lady Eagle points in the final 6 minutes of the period as the Lady Bulldogs edged ahead 8-7.
Ward and Smith ignited the 2nd period run with rebound baskets. Ward flipped in a transition lay-up, and Baldwin made a free throw. Ward stole the ball again and sprinted end-to-end for a lay-up and a 16-8 lead.
Transition lay-ups by Ward and Smith followed, and freshman Tatum Allen rattled in a 12-footer to boost the lead to 23-10 before play was halted for approximately 45 minutes as one of the officials collapsed near the end line.
After the official was administered to and EMS was summoned to transport him, play was resumed. Baldwin turned an assist from Smith into a lay-up, and Ward dropped in another transition lay-up for a 27-10 East halftime lead.
Wooten popped in a 10-footer, and Cromartie tossed in a lay-up off a Ward assist to begin the 2nd half. Ward darted to the rim for a pair of lay-ups – one off a Cromartie assist. Wooten powered in a follow, and Ward cashed in 2 free throws. Wooten netted a free throw to boost the margin to 40-14.
Ward opened the final period with another lay-up, and Baldwin zipped a pass through traffic to Wooten for a lay-up. Wooten banked in another follow shot, and Allen pumped in a 10-footer. Freshman Tyliah Freeman connected on a follow shot then delivered a pass to sophomore Nia McKoy for a lay-up.
“Our young girls got a lot of playing time, and they played hard,” said Lady Eagle Coach Patty Evers. “We have got to make some adjustments and know what it takes to play East Bladen basketball.”
Sophomore Savannah Smith led the Lady Bulldogs with 8 points, and 6-1 junior Analeise Rivenbark added 6 points
East Bladen improved to 8-1 and will play Thursday, Dec. 28 in the Hoggard Holiday Classic against Wilmington Laney at 3 p.m.
Wallace-Rose Hill 8 2 4 13 — 27
East Bladen 7 20 13 12 — 52
Wallace-Rose Hill (27) — Sophie Sloan 2, Angelina Cavallaro 4, Savannah Smith 8, Alyssa Faison, Mahoganie Judge, Taneya Smith, Maia Williams, Analeise Rivenbark 6, Jansley Page 5, T. T. Powell, Mo Pearsall 2, Syara Fennell, Amana Newkirk, Rayven Hall.
East Bladen (52) — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 23, Nevaeh Brown, Aaliyah Monroe, Ariel Cromartie 4, Cabria Baldwin 3, Tyliah Freeman 2, Tatum Allen 4, Taylor Dowless, Laila Smith 5, Nia McKoy 2, Niyah Wooten 9.
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