Lady Eagles Start Season 3-0 With Wins Over Pender and Heide Trask

Sana’a Singletary (back left), Julia Flowers (center), Ellen Battle (right).

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC — The East Bladen Lady Eagles are proving that rebuilding doesn't mean you can't win right now.

After opening the season with a comeback victory over North Brunswick, the Lady Eagles kept rolling at home this week with a dominant 63-16 win over Pender on Monday and a grittier 44-37 victory over Heide Trask on Tuesday night.

East Bladen now sits at 3-0 to start the season.

Blowout Win Over Pender

There wasn't much drama Monday night. The Lady Eagles came out firing, jumping to a 23-4 lead after one quarter and extending it to 42-5 by halftime. Pender never recovered.

What stood out most wasn't just the margin of victory, it was how many different players contributed.

Eight Lady Eagles scored, and the offense looked balanced.

Sophomore Sana'a Singletary led the way with 12 points, all from inside the paint where she's become a consistent force.

Juniors Aaliyah Monroe and Montiera Richardson each added 10 points, while sophomore Ellen Battle chipped in 9.

Senior Ariel Cromartie, who carryed the scoring load against North Brunswick, took a back seat with just 8 points as her teammates stepped up around her.

Julia Flowers added 6, Tyliah Freeman scored 4, and Grayce Edwards contributed 3.

The 63 points is the season high for the Lady Eagles, who are now averaging 52.7 points per game through three contests.

Weathering the Storm Against Heide Trask

Tuesday night was a different story.

Heide Trask came into Elizabethtown ready to play and took a 12-7 lead after the first quarter.

But the Lady Eagles responded with a strong second quarter to flip the score and take a 19-13 lead into halftime.

East Bladen extended that advantage to 35-18 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Titans weren't done.

They clawed back, cutting the lead to just four points and making things uncomfortable down the stretch.

That's when the Lady Eagles showed the kind of composure Coach Patty Evers has been looking for.

"It took everyone to come in and do their part again," Evers said. "When they cut our lead to 4, I felt like we panicked a little but we were able to get some big rebounds and made some key free throws to get the win."

In the 4th quarter, the Lady Eagles sunk seven free throws, which proved to be vital in securing the win.

Monroe pour in 12 points, including a three-pointer. Singletary matched her with 12 points, continuing her strong play in the paint.

Cromartie added 11 points, knocking down seven free throws when the game was on the line.

Battle contributed 7 points, senior Niyah Wooten added 3, and Freeman chipped in 2 in the victory.

Finding an Identity

Through three games, this East Bladen team is starting to show some of what they can do well.

Rebounding, defense, and converting off of the chances your defense earns.

Cromartie is averaging 15 points per game and establishing herself as the go-to scorer the Lady Eagles need after losing NeNe Ward and Laila Smith from last year's state championship runner-up squad.

But the surprise has been Singletary, who's averaging 12.3 points per game as a sophomore and providing a strong inside presence.

Monroe has emerged as a steady secondary scorer at 8.7 points per game, which the Eagles will need as they continue to develop.

The depth is something the Eagles will look to continue to focus on as the season progresses.

Against Pender, eight different players scored. Against Heide Trask, six players found the scorebook.

That balance is exactly what Evers said would be crucial during what she called a "rebuilding year."

The Lady Eagles are still without seniors Cabria Baldwin, who was injured in the season opener, and Nia McKoy, who continues working her way back from an ACL injury.

Despite those absences, East Bladen is 3-0 and looking more comfortable with each game.

The Lady Eagles will host North Brunswick on Tuesday, December 2nd, in a rematch of their season-opening comeback victory.

They'll then travel to Heide Trask on Friday, December 5th, for a rematch of Tuesday night's battle.

Three games in, the Lady Eagles have shown they can continue to give teams trouble with their defense, it will just come down to finishing off possesions without allowing second chance opportunities, and finishing off steals with points.

That versatility is a good sign for a team still figuring out its identity.

For complete coverage of East Bladen Lady Eagles basketball and all Bladen County sports, visit BladenCoSports.com and follow BladenCo Sports on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

---

Lady Eagles Start Season 3-0 With Wins Over Pender and Heide Trask