The NCHSAA State Basketball Playoffs continue Tuesday night, but West Bladen’s and East Bladen’s boys were eliminated in the 2nd round. East Bladen’s girls, the only Bladen team to make it to the 3rd round, will travel to Henderson to battle No. 4 seed Vance Charter.
No. 12 East Bladen (23-4) at No. 4 Vance Charter (21-2)
Gametime 6 p.m. Admission $7 (Cash only)
East Bladen, the Waccamaw Conference co-champions, will travel to Henderson Tuesday night to battle Vance Charter, the Triangle North Conference champions. Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles edged No. 5 seed Chatham Charter 52-50 Friday night, while Vance Charter defeated Northside- Pinetown 76-70.
Junior guard Iveonna “NeNe” Ward scored 8 points in the final 4 minutes as the Lady Eagles rallied for the win after another junior star Laila Smith fouled out. Ward finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals, and Laila Smith contributed 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
Sophomore Niyah Wooten grabbed 7 rebounds including 2 key ones in the final minutes. Sophomore Ariel Cromartie added 4 points and 6 rebounds.
Ward poured in 40 points in East Bladen’s 83-63 opening round playoff win over North Edgecombe, and Laila Smith blistered the nets with 26 points. Cromartie added 10 points against North Edgecombe.
Ward leads the East Bladen attack averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 steals, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Laila Smith averages 16.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.3 assists. Cromartie adds 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Sophomore Niyah Wooten contributes 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals, and sophomore Cabria Baldwin collects 3.4 rebounds and 2 steals per game.
Vance Charter brings a 13-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s game. Both of the Lady Knight losses were to No. 1 East seed Falls Lake Academy by scores of 49-47 and 69-54.
Sophomore guard Alyssa Bullock blistered the nets with 33 points in Vance Charter’s 54-37 win over East Wake Academy in their playoff opener. Junior Katherine Suther chipped in with 10 points for the Lady Knights.
Alyssa Bullock averages a near double-double racking up 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 6.5 steals per game. Suther, a 5-3 guard, contributes 11.6 points and 2.8 steals. Alaina Bullock, a 5-5 senior, follows with 6.2 points and 3.1 steals per game. Senior Caelyn Bunn adds 6.7 points and 8 rebounds, junior Londyn Whitehead tallies 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds and sophomore Emily Reese averages 7 points and 7.9 rebounds.
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