ELIZABETHTOWN – St. Pauls closed out the 1st half with a 16-0 run that carried the Lady Bulldogs to a 58-41 girls basketball victory Friday night in a battle for the top spot in the Southeastern Athletic Conference.
St. Pauls has clinched at least a first-place tie with a 10-0 record in the SAC-7. East Bladen remains firmly in 2nd place with a 7-2 league record and 18-2 overall mark.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Senior Maya McDonald scored in transition, and junior AnnaGrey Heustess shoveled a pass to junior Maegan Burney for a lay-up and 4-0 East lead to start the game. A free throw and a lay-up by tall Tamyra Council vaulted St. Pauls in front 7-4.
McDonald banked in a turn-around, and freshman Laila Smith turned a feed from Burney into a lay-up. Laila Smith muscled in a follow shot to edge the Lady Eagles ahead 10-9. A Tamyra Council follow, and a Jakieya Thompson 3-point play pushed St. Pauls on top 14-10 at the quarter break.
Senior Alexus Mitchell popped in a 15-footer, and Laila Smith raced end-to-end for a lay-up that pulled East to within 16-14 with 6:05 on the 1st half clock. The Lady Bulldogs rallied with a trio of rebound baskets, and a pair of 3-point shots from Au.Nyah Teague to take a 32-14 halftime lead.
Heustess and Mitchell drained 3-point shots to begin the 2nd half, and Burney dropped in a transition lay-up to pull East to within 33-22. After a pair of St. Pauls lay-ups, Heustess buried another 3-ball to trim the margin to 37-25, but a 10-2 run by the visitors opened up a 47-27 lead. Heustess bombed in another 3-ball, but St. Pauls led 49-30 at the quarter break.
Laila Smith banked in a runner then nailed a 3-point shot to trim the margin to 51-35. Mitchell sank 2 foul shots, Laila Smith sprinted end-to-end for another lay-up, and freshman Iveonna “NeNe” Ward closed out the Lady Eagle scoring with a lay-up.
Laila Smith fired in 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the Lady Eagles. Heustess tallied 9 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Mitchell finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds, and McDonald added 6 points. Burney corralled 4 rebounds.
Thompson led St. Pauls with 19 points. Tamyra Council netted 15 points, and Teague finished with 14.
“The girls didn’t quit,” said Lady Eagle Coach Patty Evers. “They played hard. I am proud of them.”
St Pauls 14 18 17 9 — 58
East Bladen 10 4 16 11 – 41
ST. PAULS (58) – Taliya Council 8, Au.Nyah Teague 14, Tamyra Council 15, Jakieya Thompson 19, Jashontae Harris 2, Aniyah Easterling.
EAST BLADEN (41) – Iveonna Ward 2, Martha Simmons, Maya McDonald 6, Alexus Mitchell 7, AnnaGrey Heustess 9, Karli Priest, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 4, Laila Smith 13, Brianna Phillips.
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