ST PAULS – Senior Aniyah Easterling made 2 free throws with 20 seconds left in the game to lift St Pauls to a 63-61 Southeastern Athletic Conference girls’ basketball victory over East Bladen Friday night.
Sophomore Laila Smith posted a double-double for the Lady Eagles with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Senior Karli Priest and sophomore Iveonna ‘NeNe” Ward finished with 10 points each for East Bladen.
Easterling led the Lady Bulldogs with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Teammate Jashontae Harris followed with 14 points and 5 assists. Julianna Bell tallied 11 points. St. Pauls senior leader Jakieya Thompson did not play due to an injury suffered in the final minutes of Tuesday’s game at West Bladen.
St. Pauls led 14-13 at the quarter break, but East Bladen battled back to tie the score 27-27 at halftime. The Lady Eagles racked up 21 points in the 3rd quarter to edge ahead 48-47.
Laila Smith drilled in a pair of 3-point shots and scored 18 of her points in the 1st half. She connected on 11 of 18 free throws. Priest buried a trio of 3-point shots in the 3rd quarter and netted 2 free throws in the final period to finish with 11 points.
Senior Maegan Burney rallied the Lady Eagles with a trio of baskets in the 4th quarter and sank 5 free throws to also total 11 points in the game. Ward drained a pair of 3-point shots and cashed in 4 of 4 foul shots to rack up her 10 points.
East Bladen placed 3rd in the SAC-7 with a 7-5 record and 15-7 overall mark. The Lady Eagles will host Clinton Monday night in the opening round of the SAC-7 tournament.
East Bladen 13 14 21 13 — 61
St Pauls 14 13 20 16 — 63
EAST BLADEN (61) – Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 10, Ariel Cromartie 2, Cabria Baldwin, AnnaGrey Heustess, Karli Priest 11, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 11, Laila Smith 27.
ST. PAULS (63) – Aniya Easterling 19, Tyasia Baldwin 9, Jashonte Harris 12, Juliana Bell 13, Zykendria Cox 1, Zakoreya Davis 9.
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