Senior Lacey Suggs posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson recorded a career-high 20 points as unbeaten East Bladen rolled past visiting Heide Trask 67-30 Tuesday night in Four County Conference girls basketball action.
“This is just a good group of girls,” said Lady Eagle Coach Patty Evers. “They all played well. Ja’Tyra stays after practice for extra shooting practice. I can’t say enough about her.”
The first 6 minutes were a 20-4 blitz. Moore-Peterson nailed a pair of 3-point shots, and Suggs made 2 free throws for a quick 6-0 lead. Senior Miller Heustess swished a corner jumper, and Moore-Peterson hit again from the left wing.
Suggs drove for a lay-up, and Heustess fed a cutting Christiana Cromartie for a lay-up and a 16-2 lead. Senior Abby Ward drained a 17-footer then fed Moore-Peterson for a lay-up and a 20-4 lead.
“We have got to get out to a fast start,” said Coach Evers. “We get a lot more repetitions when we play that way.”
After five new Lady Eagles took the floor, sophmore Shardajah Brown pumped in a 15-footer, and junior Danielle McDowell banged in a hard follow-shot for a 24-6 lead at the quarter break.
A pair of Ward steals produced lay-ups for Moore-Peterson and Suggs to start the second period. Suggs sank 2 free throws, Heustess put back a rebound, and Ward buried a 3-point shot for a 35-8 lead.
Freshman Ashley Hardin dropped in a lay-up, Moore-Peterson connected from 17 feet, and Brown beat the halftime buzzer with a baseline jumper for a 41-13 lead.
The pace slowed in the third period, but Suggs put back a rebound, hit 2 free thows and set up a Moore-Peterson lay-up with an assist. Brown pumped in another corner jumper to keep East on top 49-21 at the quarter break.
“Shardajah has come off the bench and given us some good minutes,” said Coach Evers. “She has scored 10 points in her last two games in limited minutes.”
Suggs banked in an 8-footer and tacked on a free throw to begin the final period. A Ward steal and pass led to another Moore-Peterson lay-up. Suggs put back a rebound, and Ward knocked down 2 free throws for a 58-21 lead.
Hardin scored inside, and a trio of Ward steals led to one lay-up for Moore-Peterson and two lay-ups for Suggs that stretched the East lead to 66-24.
The running clock due to a 40-point lead kicked in at the 5:12 mark, and junior Michelle Page made a free throw for the final Lady Eagle point.
Ward just missed a double-double with 12 steals, 9 assists and 7 points. Brown grabbed 6 rebounds to go with her 6 points. Heustess added 4 rebounds, 4 points and 3 steals.
Suggs had 5 assists and 4 steals to go with her double-figure totals. Moore-Peterson collected 2 steals and 2 assists. Cromartie blocked 5 shots, pulled down 4 rebounds and came up with 2 steals. Hardin had 3 rebounds.
Alesha Ward led Heide Trask with 12 points, and Markayla Ballard tallied 10 points.
The Lady Eagles, the top-ranked Class 2A team in the state, improved to 11-0 in league play and 21-0 overall. East Bladen will host Wallace-Rose Hill Thursday night.
East Bladen (67) – Abby Ward 7, Lexie Mendell, Michelle Page 1, Shardajah Brown 6, Lacey Suggs 21, Miller Heustess 4, Danielle McDowell 2, Christiana Cromartie 2, Ashley Hardin 4, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 20.
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