CLINTON – Sophomore Iveonna “NeNe” Ward blistered the nets with seven 3-point baskets and poured in 29 points to lead East Bladen’s Lady Eagles to a 64-25 Southeastern Athletic Conference girls’ basketball victory over Clinton Thursday night.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles connected on twelve 3-point shots in the game as they raised their record to 5-3 in the SAC-7 and 13-5 overall. The Lady Eagles will visit West Bladen Monday night.
Ward also contributed 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists to the East Bladen attack. Senior AnnaGrey Heustess nailed a trio of 3-point shots and tallied 9 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Sophomore Laila Smith racked up 8 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.
East senior Maegan Burney finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Senior Karli Priest scored 5 points and added 5 steals and 3 rebounds. Freshman Ariel Cromartie threw in 6 points, and freshman Cabria Baldwin chipped in with 4 points and 3 rebounds.
Ward bombed in a trio of 3-point shots and 3 other baskets in the 1st quarter. Heustess buried a pair of 3-balls, and Laila Smith banged in a pair of buckets as the Lady Eagles raced to a 22-8 lead.
Burney attacked the paint for a pair of baskets in the 2nd period, and Ward drained 2 more 3-point shots as the lead grew to 32-14 at halftime.
Ward buried a pair of 3-point shots and another basket in the 3rd quarter. Priest drilled in a 3-ball and another basket, and Laila Smith popped in 2 more baskets. Burney and Cromartie netted baskets to stretch the lead to 50-23.
Heustess, Ward and Baldwin fired in 3-balls in the final period. Cromartie pumped in 2 baskets, and Baldwin tacked on a free throw.
Tara Joyner led the Clinton attack with 13 points.
East Bladen 22 10 18 14 – 64
Clinton 8 6 9 2 – 25
East Bladen (64) – Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 29, Martha Simmons, Ariel Cromartie 6, Cabria Baldwin 4, AnnaGrey Heustess 9, Karli Priest 5, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 6, Laila Smith 8, Nia McKoy, Brianna Phillips, Niyah Wooten.
Clinton (25) –Tara Joyner 13, KaMyah Smith, Larkin Best, Janiya Mosely, Brittany Blackburn 6, Ava Williford 3, Anna Perry Sinclair 1, Avery Evans 2, Evan Gillespie, Karen King, Lauren Nunez.
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