By Sonny Jones
ELIZABETHTOWN — East Bladen staked its claim to the Waccamaw Conference girls basketball regular season championship Tuesday night with a 56-26 win against Whiteville on Patty Evers Court.
Now, the Eagles await the result of East Columbus’ game Friday at winless West Columbus to learn whether they will win the title outright or share the top spot and rely on a draw to determine which team gets a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament.
On a night East Bladen honored its lone senior, Zoe Smith, who was playing her final regular season home game, the Eagles scored the first 14 points and never looked back in finishing 11-1 in Waccamaw play and now are 19-3 in all games.
East Bladen led 20-5 at the end of the first quarter, doubled it in the second quarter and led by 40 at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock because of the big lead.
NeNe Ward led the Eagles with 21 points, including a trio of 3-point field goals. Ariel Cromartie had 17 points and Laila Smith added 10.
Elayzia Dawson had 16 points for Whiteville, which dropped to 6-5 in the league, 8-12 overall. The Wolfpack closes its season Friday at home against rival South Columbus
Cromartie’s steal and layup began East Bladen’s strong start. A 3-pointer by Ward, another bucket by Cromartie, a pair layups by Laila Smith off Ward passes and a free throw by Cromartie gave the Eagles a 12-0 lead midway through the first quarter before Whiteville called a time out.
Ward had half of East Bladen’s 20 points in the second quarter. Cabria Baldwin knocked down a 3-pointer to highlight the Eagles’ third quarter.
NOTE: While a likely draw between East Bladen and East Columbus will determine the top seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament, a potential tournament meeting will decide which team will be the Waccamaw’s top 1A representative for the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs that are scheduled to open Feb. 27.
If the Eagles and Gators don’t meet in the conference tournament, then the top 1A representative will be determined by the state’s Rating Percentage Index (RPI) unless one of the two reaches the tournament finals and the other team is eliminated prior to the championship game. Prior to Tuesday’s games, East Columbus was No. 3 in the RPI East rankings and East Bladen was No. 8.
East Columbus defeated Heide Trask on Tuesday to improve to 10-1 in the league, 18-1 overall.
Whiteville 5 5 6 10 — 26
East Bladen 20 20 16 0 — 56
Whiteville (26) — Idonia McCullum 3, Gabby Inman, Eriianna Green, Elayzia Dawson 16, Serenity Harvey 7, Demeria Phillips, Lashai Logan, Martasia Smith.
East Bladen (56) — NeNe Ward 21, Nevaeh Brown, Aaliyah Monroe, Ariel Cromartie 17, Cabria Baldwin 4, Tyliah Freeman, Tatum Allen, Zoe Smith, Taylor Dowell, Laila Smith 10, Niyah Wooten 4.
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