CLARKTON – Natalee Sykes and Jaylen Clark combined for 20 points Tuesday to lead unbeaten Bladenboro to a 29-14 Waccamaw Middle School Conference girls’ basketball victory over Clarkton School of Discovery.
Brenna Hester who led the Lady Blue Devil scoring with 6 points tossed in a pair of baseline 8-footers, and teammate Layla Lent hurled in a lay-up to give Clarkton an early 6-2 lead. Kali Allen stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up that was the only Lady Bulldog basket in the quarter.
Sykes began the 2nd period with a driving lay-up, but Brenna Hester banked in a runner to keep CSD on top 8-4. Clark converted an in-bounds pass from Addison Wilcox into a basket, and Sykes tied the game with a lay-up.
Clark powered in a follow shot to give the Lady Bulldogs their initial lead of the game at 10-8. A Sykes free throw padded the lead, but Cabria Baldwin banked in a 14-footer to trim the margin to 11-10. Clark banged in another lay-up for a 13-10 halftime lead.
Sykes connected on 3 of 4 free throws to start the 2nd half then drained a baseline 10-footer that grew the Bladenboro lead to 18-10. Clark delivered an assist on an in-bounds pass to Sykes for a lay-up, and teammate Micheala Hester nailed a 16-footer to push the lead to 22-10 at the quarter break.
Angelina Jones dropped in a Bladenboro lay-up to begin the final period, but ZyEria Ripley connected on a 10-footer for Clarkton. Clark muscled in a short jumper, and Allen swished a free throw. Lent put back a rebound for CSD, and Faith Wren pumped in a 12-footer for to close out the scoring.
Sykes topped all scorers with 12 points, and Clark followed with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Allen grabbed 5 rebounds and had 2 steals and 3 points. Michaela Hester and Wilcox snared 3 rebounds each. Michaela Hester and Wren had 2 steals each.
Lent totaled 4 points and 3 rebounds for CSD. Nevaeh Brown pulled down 4 rebounds, and Baldwin was limited to 3 rebounds.
Coach Otis Evans’ Lady Bulldogs take their 8-0 record to Nakina Wednesday and can clinch their league title with a win. A Nakina win would leave the 2 teams tied. Clarkton, now 3-4, will travel to Williams Township Thursday.
Bladenboro 2 11 9 7 – 29
Clarkton 6 4 0 4 – 14
Bladenboro (29) – Faith Wren 2, Natalee Sykes 12, Kali Allen 3, Makenna Thurman, Cheyenne Reinhart, Karlee Gause, Addison Wilcox, Amiya McCarty, Harley Jordan, Morgan Moore, Zybriona Johnson, Jaylen Clark 8, Micheala Hester 2, Maleigha Chatman, Marbelia Sandoval, Angelina Jones 2.
Clarkton (14) – Cabria Baldwin 2, Brenna Hester 6, ZyEria Ripley 2, Haley Taylor, Nevaeh Brown, Shani Thurman, Montierra Richardson, Madison Carney, Tyliah Freeman, Layla Lent 4, Shayla Bowen, Paris Jenkins.
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