By John Clark
HENDERSON — Juniors Iveonna “NeNe” Ward and Laila Smith combined for 46 points, and East Bladen controlled the backboards by a 47-30 margin enroute to a 76-44 victory over the No. 4 East seed Vance Charter Tuesday night in the 3rd round of the NCHSAA Class 1A Girls Basketball Playoffs.
Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles, the No. 12 East seed, improved to 24-4 and will travel to No. 1 East seed Falls Lake Academy (30-2) in Creedmoor Friday night. The Lady Firebirds defeated No. 9 East seed Chatham Central 54-47 Tuesday night.
Laila Smith recorded a double-double of 20 points and 19 rebounds and contributed 4 assists and 3 steals. Ward topped all scorers with 26 points and collected 5 steals and 5 rebounds. Sophomore Niyah Wooten racked up 13 rebounds, 4 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.
Lady Eagle sophomore Ariel Cromartie fired in 15 points to go with 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Senior Zoe Smith and sophomore Cabria Baldwin had 2 steals each. The Lady Eagle defense came up with 21 steals in the game.
After Vance sophomore Alyssa Bullock swished a 15-footer to start the game, Ward flipped in a 4-footer off a Laila Smith assist, and Wooten and Cromartie both stole the ball and delivered assists to Ward for lay-ups and a 6-2 lead. Cromartie stole the ball again and raced for a lay-up and an 8-2 lead.
Alaina Bullock answered with a 3-ball for the Lady Knights, but Zoe Smith sent an assist to Cromartie for a lay-up then banked in a 14-footer for a 12-5 East lead. Laila Smith canned 2 free throws, and Ward buried a 3-point shot for a 17-7 lead. Wooten tossed in a 6-footer off a Ward assist, and Laila Smith scooped up a loose ball and beat the buzzer with a lay-up for a 21-11 Lady Eagle lead.
Rebound baskets by Cromartie and Laila Smith began the 2nd period. Laila Smith delivered an assist to Ward for a lay-up, popped in an 8-footer, hit a free throw then stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up and a 32-15 lead. Wooten stole the ball and pitched ahead to Ward for a lay-up, and Laila Smith drilled in an elbow jumper for a 36-19 East halftime lead.
Laila Smith drained a 15-footer then banked in a 6-footer off a Wooten assist to start the 2nd half. Ward rattled in a 3-pointer from the corner. Laila Smith sank a free throw and an 8-footer to grow the lead to 46-23.
Katherine Suther’s 2 baskets keyed a 9-0 Vance run, but Ward bombed in a 3-ball from the wing then turned a Laila Smith feed into a lay-up. Cromartie knocked down a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 54-38 at the quarter break.
The Lady Eagles closed the game with a 22-6 run. Ward threw in a runner, and Cromartie stole the ball and darted for a lay-up. Wooten and Laila Smith assisted on a pair of Cromartie lay-ups. Ward popped in a baseline runner then buried another 3-ball. Baldwin and freshmen Aaliyah Monroe and Tatum Allen nailed 3-point shots in the final minutes as the margin swelled to 76-44.
Alyssa Bullock topped the Vance scoring with 16 points, and sophomore center Emily Reese banged in 12 points – 10 in the 3rd quarter. The Lady Knights finished with a 21-3 record.
East Bladen 21 15 18 22 — 76
Vance Charter 11 8 19 6 — 44
East Bladen (76) — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward 26, Nevaeh Brown, Aaliyah Monroe 3, Ariel Cromartie 15, Cabria Baldwin 3, Tyliah Freeman, Tatum Allen 3, Zoe Smith 2, Taylor Dowless, Laila Smith 20, Niyah Wooten 4.
Vance Charter (44) — Katherine Suther 6, Alaina Bullock 3, Alyssa Bullock 16, Caelyn Bunn 2, Londyn Whitehead 2, Kayleigh Morris 3, Emily Reese 12.
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