RED SPRINGS – St. Pauls closed the 1st half with a 12-0 run that propelled the Lady Bulldogs to a 59-28 victory over East Bladen in the championship game of the Southeastern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament Friday night.
Jashontae Harris’ 3-point shot staked St. Pauls to a quick 3-0 lead. East Bladen’s Maya McDonald drove down the lane for a lay-up that trimmed the margin to 3-2 with 6:06 left in the quarter.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Neither team scored again in the period as St. Pauls dropped their tall girls back in tight-knit zone and East Bladen chose not to attack it. The Lady Eagles ran out the final 4 minutes while the Lady Bulldogs sat back in their zone.
The 2nd quarter began with a St. Pauls 3-ball, but McDonald passed ahead to junior Maegan Burney for a lay-up. On the next East possession, McDonald hooked in a left-handed lay-up to tie the game 6-6 with 4:06 left in the half.
St. Pauls capitalized on an East turnover to push the lead to 10-6, before McDonald beat the Lady Bulldog press for a lay-up that closed the gap to 10-8. However, 5 more Lady Eagle turnovers helped St. Pauls end the half with the 12-0 run that opened up a 22-8 lead.
Lady Eagle freshman Iveonna “NeNe” Ward made a free throw, and junior AnnaGrey Heustess nailed a 3-point shot to keep East within 31-12. Freshman Laila Smith sank 2 free throws, and then senior Alexus Mitchell connected on 2 free throws when the St. Pauls coach was whistled for a technical foul while leading 42-14.
Mitchell converted 2 more free throws, McDonald hit one and Laila Smith banked in a follow to keep the margin at 46-21 after 3 periods.
Burney bombed in a high-arcing 3-ball from the corner, then turned a McDonald assist into a lay-up. Mitchell cashed in 2 more free throws to whittle the lead to 50-28, before the St. Pauls starters tacked on 7 more points.
Jakieya Thompson led St. Pauls with 13 points. Taliya Council and Au.Nyah Teague followed with 12 points each, and Harris finished with 9 points on a trio of 3-balls.
McDonald finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists for East Bladen. Burney also scored 7 points. Mitchell finished with 6 points. Laila Smith added 4 points, and Ward grabbed 4 rebounds.
East Bladen, now 23-3, and St. Pauls, now 23-1, will both await the announcement of the NCHSAA Class 2A Basketball pairings Saturday.
“I am proud of my girls, and the season that they have had,” said Lady Eagle Coach Patty Evers. “I am glad that we reached the championship game.”
East Bladen 2 6 13 7 – 28
St Pauls 3 19 24 13 – 59
EAST BLADEN (28) – Iveonna Ward 1, Martha Simmons, Maya McDonald 7, Alexus Mitchell 6, AnnaGrey Heustess 3, Karli Priest, Zoe Smith, Maegan Burney 7, Laila Smith 4, Brianna Phillips.
ST. PAULS (59) – Taliya Council 12, Au.Nyah Teague 12, Tamyra Council 8, Jakieya Thompson 13, Jashontae Harris 9, Aniyah Easterling 3, Demira Wells 2, Jada McKinnon, Julianna Bell, Zakoreya Davis, Zalaya Gardner.
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