By John Clark
ELIZABETHTOWN -East Bladen raced to leads of 18-2 and 46-6 en route to a 58-10 non-conference girls basketball victory over Heide Trask Wednesday night. A mercy-rule running clock was used for the 2nd half.
Sophomore Laila Smith filled up the stat sheet with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals to lead the Lady Eagle attack. Sophomore Iveonna “NeNe” Ward racked up 13 points, 7 steals, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Freshman Ariel Cromartie contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Senior Maegan Burney added 5 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Senior Karli Priest tossed in 5 points and had 2 steals. Senior Brianna Phillips checked all the stat columns with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocked shots and 2 steals. Freshman Cabria Baldwin grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and had 3 steals. Senior AnnaGrey Heustess dished out 4 assists. Sophomore Martha Simmons blocked 3 shots and snatched 3 rebounds, and freshman Nia McKoy corralled 3 rebounds and had 2 steals.
Ward turned 4 steals into 3 lay-ups and a free throw in the 1st quarter. Burney dropped in 2 lay-ups, and Laila Smith banged in a follow and banked in a runner. Priest drained a 3-point shot during the 18-2 East surge.
Laila Smith fired in 13 points in the 2nd period on a trio of short runners from the lane, 3 lay-ups and 3 free throws.Ward flipped in a pair of lay-ups and a follow shot. Cromartie drove for a pair of lay-ups, Priest hurled in a lay-up, and Burney netted a free throw for a 46-6 halftime lead.
Lady Eagle junior Zoe Smith nailed a 16-footer from the right elbow in the 3rd quarter. Cromartie put back a rebound, popped in a 10-footer and pumped in a lay-up in the final period. Phillips buried a 16-footer and dropped in a lay-up.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles improved to 11-2 on the season and will host Fairmont Friday night in a key Southeastern Athletic Conference game.
Heide Trask 2 4 4 0 – 10
East Bladen 18 28 2 10 – 58
Heide Trask (10) – Shelby Groves 1, Alanah Watkins 5, Keyerra Moore, Quela Flores, Heaven Hubbard, Kenya Lewis 2, Toni Bojorgues, Layna Nixon 2, Daniella Lopez, Yessenia Perez.
East Bladen (58) – Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 13, Martha Simmons, Ariel Cromartie 10, Cabria Baldwin, AnnaGrey Heustess, Karli Priest 5, Zoe Smith 2, Maegan Burney 5, Laila Smith 19, Nia McKoy, Brianna Phillips 4.
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