By Sonny Jones
ELIZABETHTOWN — Jashonte Harris scored 21 of her game-high 30 points in the first quarter Friday night as the St. Pauls girls’ basketball team remained unbeaten in Southeastern Athletic Conference play with a 78-61 victory against East Bladen.
Jakieya Thompson had 27 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who finished the first round of SAC-7 play with a 6-0 record and are 12-3 overall.
Laila Smith had 19 points and seven rebounds for East Bladen, now 3-3 in league play and 11-5 overall after its third straight loss. NeNe Ward scored 10 points, including three 3-pointers in the first quarter. Maegan Burney had 11 points and seven rebounds before fouling out. AnnaGrey Heustess added eight points, seven rebounds, nine blocked shots and three steals.
Harris, a junior, made four 3-pointers among her 21 first-quarter points in leading the Bulldogs to a 30-18 lead at the end of the period.
A pair of buckets from Thompson and a three-point play from Harris gave St. Pauls a 37-18 lead midway through the second quarter. East Bladen began to find its game over the second half of the period. The Eagles scored the final eight points to pull within 43-33 at half. Smith accounted for five points and Karli Priest drilled a 3-pointer during the rally.
The Eagles continued to inch closer throughout the third quarter. Lay-ups by Smith and Burney to start the second half pulled East Bladen within 43-37. The margin was cut to 46-42 following a Smith lay-up off a pass from Heustess. A lay-up from Burney and a free throw from Ward with 2:25 left in the third quarter cut St. Pauls lead to 48-45. East Bladen never came closer.
In the fourth quarter, Smith’s basket pulled East Bladen with eight at 63-55 with 5:30 remaining, but St. Pauls scored the next 13 points to seal it.
East Bladen is scheduled to host Midway (10-6, 3-3) on Tuesday.
St. Pauls 30 13 9 26 — 78
East Bladen 18 15 12 16 — 61
ST. PAULS (78) — Aniyah Easterling 11, Geomara Iglesias, Rachel Locklear, Deanna Chavis, Tyasia Baldwin, Jakieya Thompson 27, Jashonte Harris 30, Julianna Bell 2, KaMyah Blanding, Zykendria Cox 2, Zakoreya Davis 6.
EAST BLADEN (61) — NeNe Ward 10, Martha Simmons, Ariel Cromartie 6, Cabria Baldwin, AnnaGrey Heustess 8, Karli Priest 7, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 11, Laila Smith 19, Brianna Phillips, Niyha Wooten.
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