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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
ELIZABETHTOWN – East Bladen opened the game with a 14-0 blitz and went on to defeat East Columbus 68-46 Wednesday night in the girls basketball semi-finals of the Three Rivers Conference Tournament.
The Lady Eagles ran their winning streak to 20 consecutive games and improved to 24-1 overall. East Bladen advances to the tournament championship game Friday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Thursday night’s Red Springs/West Columbus semi-final.
Junior Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson drilled in a 3-point shot, and sophmore Patience Ward sank 2 free throws to start the game. Moore-Peterson nailed a jumper from the top of the key then drove for a lay-up.
Senior Shardajah Brown banked in a 3-point shot, and junior Erica McKoy popped in a 13-foot jumper to give the Lady Eagles the 14-0 lead three minutes into the first period.
Shynicquel Watson finally broke the scoring ice for East Columbus with a 16-foot jumper with 4:39 left in the quarter.
McKoy banked in a floater, then drove for a lay-up. Moore-Peterson canned 2 free throws to push the Lady Eagle lead to 20-4 at the quarter break.
“We hit some big shots early,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “Erica, Ja’Tyra and Patience did a great job of pushing the tempo.”
Watson and Alanna Deal knocked down 3-point shots as the Lady Gators closed the gap to 20-12 with an 8-0 run. Ward snapped the streak by banking in a runner and tacking on a free throw.
Tia Campbell’s steal and lay-up pulled East Columbus to within 23-15. McKoy answered with a free throw, and sophmore Izzy Smith’s assist produced a Ward basket. McKoy delivered an assist to Moore-Peterson for a lay-in and a 28-15 lead.
McKoy connected on a 17-footer. Moore-Peterson sent a pair of assists to Ward for a pair of lay-ups, and Ward stole the ball and sprinted for a lay-up and a 36-21 East Bladen halftime lead.
Ward turned a McKoy assist into a lay-up that began the second half. Ward and McKoy scored on follow shots as the lead grew to 42-23. A pair of Watson baskets trimmed the margin to 42-29.
Moore-Peterson hit a free throw, junior Ashley Hardin made 2 free throws, and junior Anna Kate White dropped in a lay-up off of a pass from sophmore Lorna Mendell.
Mendell and Ward flipped in short jumpers, and Ward added a rebound basket to boost the East Bladen lead to 53-32 at the quarter break.
Ward dished an assist to McKoy for a lay-up then stole the ball and dashed for a lay-up and a 57-32 lead. McKoy hit a free throw, and Brown tossed in a short jumper then netted a lay-up off of a Moore-Peterson assist.
Senior Kaley Smith hurled in a short bank shot off of an assist from Hardin to give the Lady Eagles their biggest lead at 64-32 with 3:44 remaining. White pumped in 2 free throws and closed out the Lady Eagle scoring with a lay-up.
Ward racked up 23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 2 assists to lead the East Bladen attack. McKoy finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Moore-Peterson added 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Brown scored 7 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. White totaled 6 points, and Izzy Smith grabbed 4 rebounds.
“Overall I thought we played a complete game,” said Coach Evers. “This group is working hard. We have got to rebound better. We missed some easy shots and still scored almost 70 points.”
Campbell led the East Columbus scoring with 18 points, and Watson followed with 9 points.
EAST BLADEN (68) – Katie Evans, Erica McKoy 14, Kaley Smith 2, Izzy Smith, Shardajah Brown 7, Anna Kate White 6, Abbey Cross, Kabarah Moore, Patience Ward 23, Ashley Hardin 2, Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson 12, Lorna Mendell 2.
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