03/28/2024
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong

DUBLIN – Sophomore Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson poured in 24 points to lead East Bladen’s Lady Eagles to a 52-33 Four County Conference girls basketball victory over West Bladen Thursday night.

West Bladen senior Akira Grimes flipped in a floater, and senior Laikyn Pait nailed a 3-point shot for an early 5-0 lead. Moore-Peterson cracked the scoring column for East turning a steal into a lay-up.

Sophomore Ashley Hardin knocked down a 10-footer for East, but a couple of free throws by senior Jerena Purdie padded the Lady Knight lead to 7-4 with 4:43 left in the period.

The Lady Eagles closed the quarter with a 13-0 run. Moore-Peterson popped in a baseline jumper, drove for a lay-up and stepped back for another 15-footer. Senior Emily Scott put back a rebound, freshman Patience Ward turned a steal into a lay-up and Hardin drained a 3-point shot for a 17-7 East lead at the break.

“Ja’Tyra had the hot hand early,” said East Bladen Coach Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson. “Ashley hit a couple of shots, and Emily had some put-backs and played one of her best games.”

Pait popped in a 15-footer for West to start the second period, but Moore-Peterson answered with a 17-footer. Junior Patience Parker’s assist set up a Purdie lay-up.

Moore-Peterson found Scott inside for a short bank shot and a 21-11 lead. Grimes connected from the top of the key for West, but junior Shardajah Brown canned an elbow jumper. Moore-Peterson scored on a follow, and Scott hit a free throw for a 26-13 East halftime lead.

Purdie opened the second half with a lay-up off of a Parker assist, but Brown bombed in a 3-pointer, and Moore-Peterson dropped in a pair of transition lay-ups for a 33-17 lead.

Pait hit from the right elbow, but Scott popped in a 6-footer for East. Senior Logan Autry made a free throw for West, but Moore-Peterson drilled a 3-pointer and converted a steal into a lay-up.

Purdie made a free throw, and Pait pumped in an elbow jumper, but Ward beat the buzzer with a follow shot for a 42-21 East Bladen lead at the quarter break.

Pait began the fourth period with a pair of free throws, but Brown drove for a lay-up. An Autry assist led to a Purdie lay-up, but Brown delivered a corner jumper, and Scott sank a 12-footer to boost the East lead to 48-25.

Pait responded with a follow shot then banked in an 8-footer. Autry found senior Jenna Dove inside for a lay-up, and a Parker assist produced a short bank shot for Dove that closed the gap to 48-33.

Scott hit a free throw, and Moore-Peterson turned a runner into a 3-point play for the final margin.

Scott finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Brown followed with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Hardin added 5 points and 4 rebounds. Ward grabbed 7 rebounds, and Moore-Peterson contributed 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Senior Yolanda Coston had 3 assists.

‘I thought we had some good offensive sets,” said Coach Evers. “Getting scoring from everyone is key as we get into the play-offs. I can’t say enough about the defense that Yolanda and Justyna (Gargala) played tonight.”

Pait topped the Lady Knight scoring with 15 points and had 5 rebounds. Purdie followed with 9 points and 8 rebounds. Grimes finished with 5 rebounds and 4 points, and Dove tallied 4 points. Autry had 5 rebounds, and Parker dished out 3 assists.

The Lady Eagles held a 32-25 rebound advantage and forced 18 West Bladen turnovers.

“Too many put-backs; we have got to box out better,” said West Bladen Coach Rick Rhoda. “We got frustrated in the first half. We played harder later in the game.”

The Lady Eagles finished in second place in the Four County with a 12-2 league record and 20-4 overall mark. Coach Evers expects her team to host Union Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the conference tournament.

West Bladen is now 7-7 in the league and 11-13 overall and is looking to host a home game against Wallace-Rose Hill in the first round.

EAST BLADEN (52) – Kaley Smith, Justyna Gargala, Shardajah Brown 9, Emily Scott 10, Anna Kate White, Patience Ward 4, Ashley Hardin 5, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 24, Yolanda Coston, Lorna Mendell.

WEST BLADEN (33) – Conner Brisson, Mikayla Winebarger, Patience Parker, Logan Autry 1, Indiyah Williams, Laikyn Pait 15, Jenna Dove 4, Elizabeth Allbright, Akira Grimes 4, Jerena Purdie 9.

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