ELIZABETHTOWN –Juniors Laila Smith and Iveonna “NeNe” Ward combined for 37 points Thursday night to lead East Bladen to a 61-33 victory over South Columbus in the Waccamaw Conference girls’ basketball opener for both schools.
Laila Smith led the Lady Eagles with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals and 3 assists. Ward scorched the nets with 4 3-point baskets and finished with 18 points. Sophomore Ariel Cromartie rang up 9 points and 3 rebounds.
“Laila and NeNe work off of each other,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “Sometimes we are a little slow coming out of the gate, and Laila carried us until NeNe got cranked up. It was nice to get our first conference win. The girls played hard. I am proud of them.”
Sophomore Niyah Wooten pumped in 6 points, pulled down 8 rebounds and had 2 steals. Sophomore Cabria Baldwin racked up 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals, and freshman Aaliyah Monroe grabbed 5 rebounds.
Laila Smith delivered assists to Wooten and Baldwin for 1st period lay-ups, turned 2 steals into lay-ups, hit a free throw then knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner and tacked on a free throw for a 4-point play and a 13-4 Lady Eagle lead.
Senior Zoe Smith’s assist produced a Cromartie lay-up that began the 2nd quarter. Laila Smith drove for a lay-up, and Laila Smith and Cromartie added free throws.
Ward caught fire and blistered the nets with her 4 3-point baskets, a lay-up off a Laila Smith assist and a lay-up off of her own steal. Laila Smith drilled in another jumper and sank a free throw as the lead swelled to 38-10 at halftime.
Laila Smith stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up then muscled in a follow to start the 2nd half. Cromartie turned assists from Ward and Wooten into lay-ups. Ward raced for another lay-up, Wooten converted a feed from Baldwin into a basket, and Cromartie’s follow shot stretched the lead to 52-14.
Baldwin tossed in 3 free throws in the final period. Wooten, Monroe and freshman Nevaeh Brown pumped in baskets.
Karys Townsend led the Lady Stallions with 11 points, and Jakiyah Graham and Zyrainna Drayton added 6 points each.
The Lady Eagles improved to 7-1 and will host Wallace-Rose Hill in a non-conference game Tuesday at 5:30.
South Columbus 4 6 8 15 — 33
East Bladen 13 25 14 9 — 61
South Columbus (33) — Jenaysha Jackson 2, Jordane Cribb 3, Jakiyah Graham 6, Trinity Strickland 1, Karys Townsend 11, Zyrainna Drayton 6, Greenley Hardee 2, India Sammons 2, Emily Worley.
East Bladen (61) — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 18, Nevaeh Brown 2, Aaliyah Monroe 2, Ariel Cromartie 9, Cabria Baldwin 5, Tyliah Freeman, Tatum Allen, Zoe Smith, Taylor Dowless, Laila Smith 19, Nia McKoy, Niyah Wooten 6.
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