ROCKY POINT – Juniors Iveonna “NeNe” Ward and Laila Smith sparked an 18-2 opening spurt that propelled East Bladen to a 56-30 Waccamaw Conference girls’ basketball victory over Heide Trask Wednesday night.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles remained unbeaten at 4-0 in Waccamaw action and improved to 12-2 overall. East Bladen will host West Columbus Friday night.
Ward just missed a double-double with 19 points, 9 steals and 4 rebounds. Laila Smith rang up 13 points and had 5 steals. Sophomore Ariel Cromartie tallied 7 points, and sophomore Niyah Wooten filled up the stat sheet with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists. Sophomore Cabria Baldwin and freshman Nevaeh Brown grabbed 3 rebounds each.
The Lady Eagles’ pressure defense forced 10 Trask turnovers and came up with 8 steals during the opening run. Laila Smith dropped in a lay-up off a Wooten assist, and a Laila Smith steal led to a Ward lay-up. Laila Smith popped in a short pull-up for a quick 6-0 lead.
Wooten stole the ball and pitched ahead to Ward for a lay-up then banged in a follow shot. Ward converted a steal into a lay-up, and Cromartie netted a lay-up off a turnover. Ward tossed in a 16-footer then turned another Laila Smith steal into a lay-up and an 18-2 lead.
Ward started the 2nd period with a lay-up, drilled in a 3-point shot and sent an assist to Cromartie for a lay-up. Laila Smith powered in a follow, and Cromartie added a free throw for a 29-12 halftime lead.
Ward stole the ball 3 times and raced for 3 lay-ups to begin the 2nd half. Laila Smith dashed for a lay-up, and Wooten banked in a follow. Brown sank a free throw, and freshman Tatum Allen drained a 3-point shot. Sophomore Nia McKoy popped in a 6-footer for a 45-20 East lead at the break.
Laila Smith delivered an assist to McKoy for a lay-up then drove for a lay-up to start the final quarter. Wooten pumped in a follow shot, Cromartie flipped in a jumper, and Baldwin cashed in a trio of free throws.
Kenya Lewis topped the Lady Titan scoring with 10 points, and Layna Nixon followed with 9 points. The Lady Titans committed 26 turnovers in the 1st 3 quarters.
East Bladen 18 11 16 11 — 56
Heide Trask 4 8 8 10 — 30
East Bladen (56) — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 19, Nevaeh Brown 1, Aaliyah Monroe, Ariel Cromartie 7, Cabria Baldwin 3, Tyliah Freeman, Tatum Allen 3, Zoe Smith, Taylor Dowless, Laila Smith 13, Nia McKoy 4, Niyah Wooten 6.
Heide Trask (30) — Alanah Watkins 3, Kenya Lewis 10, Layna Nixon 9, Yessenia Perez 2, Carley Davis 2, Toni Bojorgues, Danyla Moore 3, Heaven Hubbard 1, Zion Jinwright, Anastasia McEachin.
About Author
