Ward scores 11 in East basketball victory

GREENSBORO — Iveonna “NeNe” Ward scored 11 points, including making all eight free throws, Monday night in helping the East defeat the West 97-85 in the N.C. Coaches Association All-Star girls’ basketball game inside Novant Health Field House at Greensboro Coliseum.

Ward, representing East Bladen, scored all of her points in the first half, which included a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter that gave the East a 41-33 lead.

For the game, Ward played 20 minutes in the 40-minute game, had three assists, two rebounds, two assists and two turnovers.

Jasmine Nivar led the East with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Fairmont’s Taniya Simms had five points and five rebounds.

Ward’s 11 points helped the East build a 52-42 halftime lead. The East team never trailed in the second half.

Ward wasn’t selected to the original girls’ basketball team, but was named as a replacement for Ashanti Fox of Union Pines.

Ward led East Bladen to the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A Final Four in each of her final two seasons, including a berth in the state championship game last March that had the Eagles losing to Cherokee.

Playing point guard, Ward led the Eagles in scoring last season with a 19.4 average and made 76 3-point field goals while being named the Waccamaw Conference girls’ basketball player of the year. She averaged 20 points per game and made 58 3-pointers during her junior season. She scored 1,648 points and made 181 3-pointers in her four seasons as a varsity player. East Bladen had a 96-21 record during that time.