ELIZABETHTOWN – East Bladen celebrated the Senior Night festivities for Maya McDonald and Alexus Mitchell Friday night with a 58-29 Southeastern Athletic Conference girls’ basketball victory over Clinton Friday night.
“We wanted to win for our seniors,” said Lady Eagle Coach Patty Evers. “Alexus and Maya – you can’t think of one without thinking about the other. They have had outstanding careers together (78 wins, 9 losses). I am really proud of them.”
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
McDonald only scored 6 points, but grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 8 assists and had 4 steals. Mitchell racked up 10 points, 4 steals and 3 assists. Freshman Iveonna “NeNe” Ward posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds and had 2 steals.
Freshman Laila Smith filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Junior Maegan Burney tossed in 10 points and added 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Junior AnnaGrey Heustess pulled down 5 rebounds.
After a Ward follow shot tied the score early, Brittany Blackburn sparked Clinton to a 9-2 lead with a 3-point shot and a lay-up. Blackburn led the Lady Dark Horses with 11 points, and Khaliah Chestnutt followed with 9.
Burney buried a corner 3-ball that ignited a 13-0 East Bladen spurt. Mitchell flipped in a runner, and Ward turned a McDonald feed into a lay-up then tacked on a free throw. Burney dropped in a lay-up off of a Laila Smith assist then netted a free throw. Another McDonald assist resulted in a Mitchell lay-up and a 15-9 lead.
McDonald sent another assist to Burney for a lay-up, but a Blackburn follow shot kept Clinton within 17-13 at the quarter break.
Laila Smith drained a 17-footer to begin an 18-3 Lady Eagle blitz in the 2nd period. Burney stole the ball and pitched ahead to Ward for a lay-up. Mitchell turned a McDonald assist into a lay-up, and Mitchell stole the ball and delivered an assist to Ward for a lay-up and a 25-13 lead.
Heustess sank 2 free throws, and Laila Smith banged in a follow shot then sent a pass to Burney for a lay-up. Ward fired a pass to Laila Smith for a lay-up, and Burney’s pass to sophomore Zoe Smith for a lay-up closed out the half with East on top 35-16.
McDonald and Laila Smith drove for lay-ups in the 3rd quarter. McDonald hurled a pass to Ward for a lay-up, and Mitchell and McDonald both stole the ball and dashed for lay-ups to end the period with East up 45-21.
Laila Smith and McDonald drove for lay-ups to start the final period. Laila Smith popped in a short jumper, and another McDonald assist produced a Ward lay-up. Mitchell sprinted for a lay-up, and junior Karli Priest nailed a 3-point shot to close out the scoring.
“I was happy with the way we came out and played defense,” said Evers. “We ran a variety of defenses and worked on some things. I am proud of this group of girls.”
The Lady Eagles finished 10-2 in SAC-7 play and are 21-2 overall. East Bladen will host Clinton Monday at 6 p.m. in the opening round of the SAC-7 Tournament. Clinton tied for 6th place in the league but lost a coin flip to West Bladen that determined seeding.
Clinton 13 3 5 8 – 29
East Bladen 17 18 10 13 – 58
CLINTON (29) – Tara Joyner 3, KaMyah Smith 2, Khaliah Chestnutt 9, Larkin Best, Brittany Blackburn 11, Ava Williford 2, Anna Perry Sinclair 2, Avery Evans.
EAST BLADEN (58) – Iveonna Ward 13, Martha Simmons, Maya McDonald 6, Alexus Mitchell 10, AnnaGrey Heustess 2, Karli Priest 3, Zoe Smith 2, Maegan Burney 10, Laila Smith 12, Brianna Phillips.
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