ELIZABETHTOWN – Senior Akira Grimes threw in 6 of her team-high 11 points in the fourth quarter as West Bladen held off a Whiteville rally and posted a 33-31 victory Tuesday night in the East Bladen Holiday Classic.
The Lady Wolfpack scored the first 5 points of the final period to trim the Lady Knight lead to 25-21. Grimes followed up her own shot with a basket then dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from sophmore Erica McKoy that pushed the West lead back to 29-21.
Junior Elizabeth Allbright tossed in a basket off of an assist from senior Logan Autry that stretched the lead to 31-21 with 3:57 left to play.
Whiteville answered with a lay-up from Alexandria Bellamy and a 3-point bomb from Marquasia Smith that closed the gap to 31-27 with 2:20 remaining.
After the teams traded turnovers, Grimes flipped in a reverse lay-up with 29 seconds left that padded the West lead to 33-27. Whiteville’s Nsaia Rogers scored with 17 seconds remaining to whittle the lead to 33-29, and 2 free throws by Breanna McCellon with one second left sliced the final margin to 33-31.
Grimes also grabbed 8 rebounds in the game. Senior Laikyn Pait racked up 8 points and 8 rebounds. Allbright finished with 5 points and 6 rebounds. Autry filled the stat sheet with 4 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Senior Jenna Dove pulled down 5 rebounds, and McKoy tallied 4 points.
“We needed this win,” said West Bladen Coach Rick Rhoda. “We were short-handed and we got tired at the end, but we pulled it out.” The Lady Knights only dressed 6 players for the game due to injuries and sickness.
The West Bladen defense pitched a shutout in the first quarter holding Whiteville scoreless while building an 8-0 lead. McKoy stole the ball and raced for a lay-up to start the scoring. Dove and Allbright made a free throw each, Pait sank 2 free throws, and Autry drove the length of the floor for a lay-up.
Whiteville cracked the scoring column 46 seconds into the second quarter when Rogers hit 2 free throws. Grimes popped in a 10-footer, but Smith nailed a 3-pointer to trim the margin to 10-6.
Grimes dished a pass to Pait for a lay-up then made a free throw for a 13-6 lead. The Lady Wolfpack responded with jumpers by Rogers and Smith to narrow the gap to 13-10. McKoy drove for a lay-up, and Grimes drilled a 17-footer that padded the lead to 17-10.
Another Rogers 3-pointer pulled Whitevile to within 17-13 at halftime.
Pait pumped in a 12-footer from the corner to start the second half. Autry banked in a runner, and Pait drove for a lay-up. Allbright added a transition lay-up that stretched the West lead to 25-15.
Rogers led the Whiteville scoring with 13 points, and Smith finished with 12 points.
The Lady Knights evened their record at 5-5 and will be off until January 3rd when they travel to Heide Trask.
WEST BLADEN (33) – Erica McKoy 4, Logan Autry 4, Laikyn Pait 8, Jenna Dove 1, Elizabeth Allbright 5, Akira Grimes 11.
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