03/28/2024
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WILMINGTON – Senior Maya McDonald poured in 30 points and keyed a 9-0 closing run that sealed a 56-45 victory for East Bladen’s unbeaten Lady Eagles over Wilmington Ashley Tuesday.

The Screaming Eagles had trimmed a 7-point East lead to 47-45 with 2:34 remaining when McDonald rolled in a lay-up off of an in-bounds pass that turned into a 3-point play. She raced end-to-end with a long rebound for a lay-up then delivered a pass to junior Maegan Burney for a lay-up. An AnnaGrey Heustess pass resulted in another McDonald lay-up and the 56-45 final margin.

“We want the ball in Maya’s hands at the end of the game,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “She and Alexus (Mitchell) are our leaders on the floor.”

McDonald also finished with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Burney scored 11 of her 16 points after halftime and collected 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Heustess added 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. Mitchell totaled 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Freshman Iveonna Ward grabbed 7 rebounds.

“Maegan was much more active in the 2nd half and really opened up the basket for us,” continued Evers. “AnnaGrey held her own against their big girls. That is the biggest team we have played. We went to man (defense) early in the 2nd half and that created some turnovers. I am proud of the girls.”

Six-foot sophomore Marlee Cook muscled inside for 6 early points as Ashley built early leads of 8-3 and 12-6. McDonald drove for a 3-point play, turned a steal into a lay-up then buried a 3-point shot to whittle the lead to 12-11. A Burney free throw tied the score 12-12.

Sophomore Anna Benfield beat the Lady Eagle press for a pair of lay-ups, Annalise Saffo hurled in a 3-ball, and 6-2 senior Savannah Cook dropped in a lay-up for a 21-14 Ashley lead at the quarter break.

McDonald started the 2nd period with a driving lay-up, then sent a pass to junior Karli Priest who tossed in a 4-footer. After Savannah Cook and Jaeden Hudson scored inside for Ashley, Heustess sank 2 free throws, and McDonald drove for a pair of lay-ups and converted one of them into a 3-point play to slice the lead to 27-25.

MacKenzie Morton’s lay-up with 3 seconds on the clock gave the Screaming Eagles a 29-25 halftime lead.

McDonald banked in a runner to begin the 2nd half, then converted a Heustess assist into a lay-up. Burney stole the ball and dropped in a lay-up then put in a rebound basket that gave East Bladen their first lead of the game at 33-31.

Lay-ups by Marlee Cook and Josie Conway pushed Ashley back on top, but Heustess banked in a turn-around, and Burney converted a feed from Mitchell into a lay-up and a 3-point play. Another Mitchell assist led to a McDonald lay-up and a 40-38 East Bladen lead at the quarter break.

Burney stole the ball again and sprinted for a lay-up, Heustess sank a foul shot and McDonald delivered an assist to Mitchell for a lay-up and a 45-38 lead with 5:18 on the clock.

An East turnover led to a Morton lay-up, and Savannah Cook powered in a rebound, but McDonald knocked down a 15-footer for a 47-43 lead with 3:22 left.

East Bladen improved to 9-0 with the victory and will play Topsail at 1:30 Wednesday.

East Bladen     14   11   15   16 -56
Ashley      21     8     9     7  – 45

East Bladen (56) – Iveonna Ward, Maya McDonald 30, Alexus Mitchell 3, AnnaGrey Heustess 5, Karli Priest 2, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 16, Laila Smith.

Ashley (45) – MacKenzie Morton 11, Annalise Saffo 7, Josie Conway 2, Jaeden Hudson 2, Anna Benfield 6, Savannah Cook 7, Marlee Cook 10.

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