Seniors Lacey Suggs and Abby Ward led East Bladen’s Lady Eagles to a 55-23 non-conference girls basketball victory Monday night over visiting East Columbus.
Suggs blistered the nets with 20 of her game-high 24 points in the first half as the Lady Eagles rolled to a 36-7 halftime lead. The 5-9 forward also collected 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists.
Ward posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 steals. The ball-hawking guard also contributed 8 assists and 6 rebounds. “I don’t know when I have seen Abby play like that,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “She was really focused.”
The Lady Eagles started slowly with 4 turnovers in the first 2-plus minutes as Lady Gator star Charity Powell staked the visitors to an early 5-2 lead with a lay-up and a 3-point basket.
However, Suggs hooked in a rebound, and Ward banked in a runner then nailed a 3-point shot from the top of the key. Another Suggs rebound basket put East Bladen ahead 11-5 at the quarter break.
Suggs turned a rebound into a 3-point play to begin the second period. Ward canned a 16-footer, and Suggs turned a transition lay-up into another 3-point play that stretched the Lady Eagle lead to 19-5.
A Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson assist led to a Suggs lay-up, and Suggs returned the favor with a pass to Moore-Peterson for a lay-up. Suggs popped in a runner then found senior Miller Heustess cutting to the basket for a lay-up that widened the gap to 27-7.
Senior Christiana Cromartie dropped in a transition lay-up, Suggs stole the ball and raced for another lay-up then turned a Ward assist into a lay-up. A Cromartie free throw and two free throws by Ward completed the 25-2 Lady Eagle second-quarter blitz.
“We just played a good all-around game,” said Coach Evers. “We ran the floor and worked the ball around. Our defense was very good.”
Suggs started the second half with a lay-up then stole the ball and converted a pass from Heustess into a lay-up. Ward hit a free throw, and Cromartie threw in a 10-footer.
A Ward assist resulted in a lay-up for junior Lexie Mendell that upped the count to 45-7. Moore-Peterson drove for a lay-up, Cromartie buried a 17-footer, and Moore-Peterson rattled in a baseline jumper for a 51-11 lead at the quarter break.
A running clock made it a short final quarter. “Once we went to the running clock, we just tried to keep everybody healthy,” said Coach Evers.
Cromartie finished with 7 points, 5 steals and 4 rebounds, and freshman Ashley Hardin grabbed 7 rebounds including the one that she turned into the game’s final basket.
Powell topped the Lady Gator scoring with 9 points.
The Lady Eagles improved to 5-0 on the season and will travel to St. Pauls Friday night.
East Bladen (55) – Abby Ward 10, Lexie Mendell 2, Michelle Page 2, Emily Scott, Lacey Suggs 24, Miller Heustess 2, Danielle McDowell, Christiana Cromartie 7, Ashley Hardin 2, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 6.
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