03/29/2024
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By Sonny Jones

ELIZABETHTOWN — The effort was there, said East Bladen coach Patty Evers, but her team couldn’t match Fairmont’s size and speed Friday night. The result: the Eagles third conference loss to a team other than St. Pauls since 2017.

Amyrikal Vaught, Taniya Simms and Sydney Jacobs combined to score 43 points in leading Fairmont to a 65-48 victory against East Bladen in a Southeastern Athletic Conference girls’ basketball game.

“Give Fairmont credit,” Evers said. “I knew they were a good team. We struggled with their post players.”

East Bladen also was hampered by foul trouble to leading scorer Laila Smith, who picked up her third foul early in the second quarter and eventually fouled out in the third quarter, and NeNe Ward, who netted a trio of 3-pointers among her 15 points before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. “NeNe had the best game of her career,” Evers said.

“It was a good lesson for them,” Evers said of her two sophomores. “Laila picked up three offensive fouls. You can’t drive in between two people. You have to look for your teammates.” Smith finished with five points.

Maegan Burney led the East Bladen offense with 16 points and also blocked seven shots.

“(Maegan) played her heart out,” Evers said. “I was really proud of Karli Priest and her hustle even though she didn’t score. She’s playing really, really good for us. She’s playing like a senior who doesn’t want to lose.”

Fairmont bolted to a 15-5 lead, but East Bladen closed it to 15-13 at the end of the first quarter on 3-pointers by Ward and Smith and a pair of free throws by Ariel Cromartie. The Eagles never got closer and never led. Fairmont was ahead 36-25 at half and 50-36 at the end of the third quarter.

A 3-pointer by Ward pulled the Eagles within 21-19 midway through the second quarter. Fairmont scored the next eight points to go up 29-19. East Bladen never got closer than six the rest of the game.

“We put up a good fight,” Evers said. “We didn’t quit. That was my focus in the locker room.

“We have struggled at the foul line this year, but were 13 of 14 from the foul line tonight. I’ll take that as a positive.”

Fairmont’s defense forced 21 East Bladen turnovers.

Vaught led the Golden Tornadoes with 16 points, Simms had 14 and Jacobs added 13. Fairmont moved into second place in the SAC-7 with a 4-1 record and are 13-3 in all games this season.

East Bladen lost a conference game to a team other than St. Pauls for only the third time since Dec. 8, 2017 when Red Springs won 43-35 in a Three Rivers 1-A/2-A Conference contest. The Eagles also lost to conference foe Whiteville 62-59 on Jan. 23, 2020 during the COVID-shortened season.

East Bladen is 11-3 overall and 3-1 in SAC-7 play. The Eagles are scheduled to play at Red Springs on Tuesday.

Fairmont       15  21  14  15 — 65
East Bladen  13  13  10  12 — 48

FAIRMONT (65) — Paris Bethea 7, Sydney Jacobs 13, Shamiah Smith 8, Shaniah Smith 3, Kearstin Hunt, Amyrikal Vaught 16, Zariyah Locklear, Taniya Simms 14, Myasia Simms 2, Jaliyah Stephsm, Kersten Hunt.

EAST BLADEN (48) — NeNe Ward 15, Martha Simmons, Ariel Cromartie 4, AnnaGrey Heustess 6, Karli Priest, Zoe Smith 1, Maegan Burney 16, Laila Smith 5, Nia McKoy, Bianna Phillips.

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