03/28/2024
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Top, from left, East Bladen’s Lacey Suggs, West Bladen’s Erika McKoy, East Bladen’s Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson. Bottom, from left, West Bladen’s Jerena Purdie, East Bladen’s Abby Ward, West Bladen’s Laikyn Pait. (Kenneth Armstrong photos)

East Bladen’s Lady Eagles travel to West Bladen Tuesday night to resume their county rivalry in a Four County Conference game.

Coach Patty Evers’ Lady Eagles are 6-0 in league play, 16-0 overall and the top-ranked Class 2A women’s basketball team in the state.

Senior Lacey Suggs leads the East Bladen offense in points (21.6) and rebounds (8.6) per game. The 5-10 guard also contributes 5.3 steals and 4.2 assists per game.

Senior point guard Abby Ward averages 8.3 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Freshman Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson led the Lady Eagle scoring in Friday’s win at Union with 19 points and averages 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Senior Christiana Cromartie contributes 5.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and leads the team with 3.1 blocked shots per game. Other key contributors are senior Miller Heustess (3.2 points), freshman Ashley Hardin (3.5 points and 6 rebounds) and junior Emily Scott (4.9 rebounds).

The Lady Eagles have key wins over Class 4A opponents Jack Britt 46-42, Hoke County 47-26 and Wilmington Ashley 52-39, two wins over 1A power East Columbus 55-23 and 50-44 and 58-30 over Four County rival Clinton.

Coach Rick Rhoda’s Lady Knights are 3-2 in league play and 5-9 overall. West Bladen won their first three conference games over Union 41-33, Heide Trask 48-36 and a triple overtime marathon over Pender 62-56. Other Lady Knight wins were over West Columbus 29-17 and South Columbus 41-26.

Junior Laikyn Pait tops the West Bladen team with 11.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Pait lit up the scoreboard with career-highs of 31 points and 19 rebounds in the thriller against Pender.

Junior Akira Grimes contributes 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and junior center Jerena Purdie adds 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 points per game. Sophmore Elizabeth Allbright grabs 4.6 rebounds per game.

Other key contributors are: junior guard Logan Autry (4 rebounds and 3 assists), freshman Erika McKoy (3.1 points) and junior Alanna Ludlum who scored 5 points in the third overtime against Pender.

Juniors Kaylee Stevens and Jenna Dove who both grab 3.5 rebounds per game have been sidelined by injuries.

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