East Bladen advances to the third round, will face #2 Wilson Prep, following 60-13 win over Columbia

Photos by: Ken Arm Photo

Elizabethtown, NC - The East Bladen Lady Eagles wasted no time showing why they earned the #7 seed in the state playoffs, overwhelming #23 Columbia 60-13 in Friday night’s second round matchup.

Leading the charge were NeNe Ward and Laila Smith, who combined for 38 points.

Ward was on fire from the jump, connecting on a trio of smooth pull-up jumpers and splashing in a deep three to pace the offense in the opening quarter.

By halftime, Ward had tacked on a pair of long-range bombs, a tough bucket in traffic, and a perfect trip to the free throw line to push her total to 19 points.

Smith did plenty of damage herself, working her way to the rim and earning trips to the line by battling through contact. She knocked down six free throws in the second quarter alone, adding four strong finishes at the basket along the way.

Niyah Wooten chipped in with a free throw in the first and a layup in the second, while Ariel Cromartie and Cabria Baldwin each added to the second-quarter scoring burst.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, the Lady Eagles were already sitting comfortably with a commanding 44-2 lead.

In the second half, Tatum Allen found her stroke, draining a three from the wing, sinking a mid-range jumper, and staying perfect at the foul line.

Aaliyah Monroe also made her presence felt with a pair of buckets, including a three-pointer in the fourth. Nevaeh Brown joined the fun late with a strong finish in the paint to put the finishing touch on East Bladen’s dominant performance.

With the win, East Bladen moves on to face #2 Wilson Prep on Tuesday in what promises to be a tougher test on the road. The game time is TBD.

The Lady Eagles will look to keep their postseason run alive — and if Ward and Smith keep leading the charge, they’ll have a good shot to do just that.

East Bladen 13 31 9 7 - 60

Columbia 1 1 4 7 - 13

East Bladen (60) - Nene Ward 24, Nevaeh Brown 4, Aaliyah Monroe 5, Ariel Cromartie 12, Cabria Baldwin, Tyliah Freeman 2, Tatum Allen 6, Taylor Dowless 4, Laila Smith 15, Niyah Wooten.

Columbia (13) - Alyssia Patterson, Tatyanna McGee 2, Keyara Rook 5, Makhia Lee 3, Kamiyah Stalling, Kalasha Macon 9, Mariyah Powell, Breasia Gatling.