04/19/2024
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East Bladen High SchoolSenior Lacey Suggs closed out her regular season career with a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds Thursday as East Bladen’s Lady Eagles defeated visiting West Bladen 71-27 on Senior Night in Four County Conference girls basketball action.

Suggs and fellow seniors Abby Ward, Christiana Cromartie and Miller Heustess have led the Lady Eagles to a 14-0 conference record and 24-0 overall mark. In their four year career, those four seniors have led East Bladen to a 99-10 record and three consecutive Four County championships.

“This is a great group of girls but even more important they are good people,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “They are leaders and role models in our school.”

Suggs racked up 12 first quarter points on a 3-point shot, 3 free throws and 3 other baskets as the Lady Eagles raced to a 20-5 lead. Cromartie pumped in a basket and 2 free throws, and freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson and junior Emily Scott added baskets.

Junior Laikyn Pait sank 2 free thows for West, and junior Kaylee Stevens hit one. Sophmore Patience Parker threw in a Lady Knight basket.

A Suggs basket ignited a 12-0 East run that began the second period. Cromartie canned a 16-footer, and Ward drilled a 3-point shot. Suggs spun through the lane for a lay-up with a free throw tacked on.

After West junior Logan Autry made a free throw, Cromartie sandwiched a pair of 16-foot jumpers around a driving lay-up by Pait. West junior Jenna Dove sank a free throw to end the half, but the Lady Eagles led 36-9.

Suggs wheeled to the basket for two points, hit a free throw then put back a rebound for a 41-9 lead. Pait answered with a 3-point bomb for West.

Freshman Ashley Hardin threw in a basket, Suggs knocked down a 17-footer, then popped in a 12-foot pull-up.

Pait hit 2 free throws for West, but Moore-Peterson banked in a runner and tacked on a free throw.  Shardajah Brown made a free throw, and Hardin popped in a corner jumper.

Junior Jerena Purdie put back a rebound for West to trim the margin to 53-16 at the quarter break.

Ward fired a pass to Heustess for a lay-up to begin the final quarter. After Pait hit a pair of Lady Knight free throws, Ward delivered a 3-pointer from the corner that upped the count to 59-19 and started the running clock.

Moore-Peterson and Parker traded free throws. Junior Lexie Mendell canned a 12-footer for East, but Parker flipped in a runner for West.

Mendell pumped in a 12-footer, and Brown beat the buzzer with a lay-up after Purdie had put back a rebound for a West bucket.
 
Suggs also tallied 6 assists and 5 steals. Cromartie finished with 10 points, 7 blocked shots and 4 rebounds. Brown scored 7 points, and Ward had 6 points, 7 assists,  and 3 steals.
 
Moore-Peterson contributed 6 points and 4 rebounds. Mendell dished out 4 assists. Scott grabbed 4 rebounds, and Hardin and Heustess had 3 rebounds each.
 
Pait led West Bladen with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Purdie finished with 6 points, and Parker followed with 5 points.
 
“We played really great defense,” said Coach Evers. “We shared the ball as well as we have all year.”
 
East Bladen will host Heide Trask Monday night in the opening round of the conference tournament. West Bladen, now 5-9 in the league and 7-16 overall, will travel to Midway for their first round game.
 
West Bladen (27) – Alanna Ludlum, Kaylee Stevens 1, Erika McKoy, Patience Parker 5, Kassidy Anderson, Logan Autry 1, Laikyn Pait 13, Jenna Dove 1, Elizabeth Allbright, Akira Grimes, Jerena Purdie 6.
 
East Bladen (71) – Abby Ward 6, Lexie Mendell 4, Michelle Page, Shardajah Brown 7, Emily Scott 2, Lacey Suggs 28, Miller Heustess 2, Danielle McDowell 2, Christiana Cromartie 10, Ashley Hardin 4, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 6.
 

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