ELIZABETHTOWN – East Bladen overcame a 20-point High Point Andrews lead, but a late rally by the Lady Red Raiders pulled out a 67-66 victory Thursday night in the second round of the NCHSAA Class 2A girls basketball play-offs.
Senior Ashley Hardin sank 2 free throws, and junior Patience Ward popped in a short jumper to put the Lady Eagles up 60-55 with 2:24 left to play. After Andrews’ Bre Lawson made a free throw at the 1:53 mark, consecutive East Bladen turnovers resulted in lay-ups for Jeriel Nesbitt and Derykah Perry that tied the game 60-60.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
“Nerves,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “We had a five-point lead and then turned the ball over twice. That’s nerves. We didn’t do what we teach. You have got to be able to keep your head in those situations.”
East Bladen seniors Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson and Erica McKoy sandwiched one free throw each around two free throws by Andrews’ Kiretha Baker. Baker then buried her fifth 3-pointer of the game with 55 seconds remaining to put the visitors up 65-62.
Moore-Peterson powered in a runner to trim the margin to 65-64, but Lawson hit 2 free throws with 15 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 67-64. McKoy banked in a runner with 8 seconds left to close the gap to 67-66.
Andrews missed two free throws with 3.9 seconds left but was able to retrieve the rebound and dribble out the clock.
“I am proud of this team,” continued Coach Evers. “They had a great year. It just didn’t end the way that we wanted.” East Bladen finished the season with a 27-2 record and won the Three Rivers Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
Ward led the Lady Eagle scoring with 18 points and added 5 rebounds. Moore-Peterson finished with 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. McKoy totaled 15 points -14 in the second half, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Hardin contributed 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and freshman Maya McDonald collected 7 points and 5 rebounds.
Moore-Peterson nailed a 3-point shot, and Ward banked in a 4-footer for an early 5-2 East lead. Nesbitt sparked an 11-0 Lady Red Raider spurt with a pair of lay-ups, and a Baker 3-ball put Andrews up 13-5.
A pair of Moore-Peterson assists led to a pair of Ward lay-ups as the Lady Eagles pulled to within 15-9 at the quarter break.
Moore-Peterson pitched ahead to Ward for another lay-up to begin the second period then muscled in an 8-footer and tacked on the free throw to slice the lead to 19-14. Baker threw in a pair of 3-balls, and Lawson lobbed in another to key a 15-0 Andrews run that opened up a 34-14 lead.
McKoy halted the run with a free throw, Ward banged in a 4-footer and Hardin drilled in a 3-pointer and 2 free throws to whittle the lead to 35-22 at halftime.
Lawson started the second half with a 3-pointer for a 38-22 lead, but the Lady Eagle pressure defense forced 13 Andrews turnovers that keyed a 25-6 blitz and vaulted East in front.
Ward ignited the run with a short jumper, McKoy canned a free throw, and junior Lorna Mendell banked in a 6-footer off of a Moore-Peterson assist. McKoy drained a 3-pointer, and McDonald stole the ball and raced for a lay-up then tacked on a free throw.
A McKoy assist resulted in a Ward lay-up, and Moore-Peterson banked in a 3-ball. McKoy drove for a lay-up and a free throw. Moore-Peterson cashed in 2 free throws then turned a Hardin assist into a lay-up. McDonald bounced an assist to Ward for a lay-up and a 47-44 East lead at the quarter break.
“We thought they would struggle with our press,” said Coach Evers. “Defense creates offense, and we were able to turn them over.”
A Hardin assist led to a McDonald lay-up, but Perry’s 3-point play tied the game 49-49. McKoy snatched a loose ball and dropped in a lay-up, but Nesbitt scooped in a basket to knot the score 51-51.
After a Moore-Peterson free throw, Baker knocked down another 3-ball for Andrews. McDonald banked in a follow shot to tie the game 54-54. McKoy’s driving lay-up edged East ahead 56-54.
Baker, a sophmore guard, led Andrews with 19 points, and Perry, a 6-2 sophmore center, and Nesbitt, a junior, scored 15 points each. Lawson added 11. Andrews improves to 21-6 and will travel to Kinston Saturday.
Moore-Peterson, McKoy and Hardin headline a senior class that won 107 games and lost 11 in their Lady Eagle careers. Anna Kate White and Kabarah Moore are the other Lady Eagles seniors.
Andrews 15 20 9 23 – 67
East Bladen 9 13 25 19 – 66
EAST BLADEN (66) – Katie Evans, Erica McKoy 15, Maya McDonald 7, Anna Kate White, Patience Ward 18, Ashley Hardin 7, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 17, Lorna Mendell 2.
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