ELIZABETHTOWN — Whiteville rallied from an early 8-0 deficit and used a 12-0 third-quarter run to overpower West Bladen on Tuesday in the East Bladen Holiday Classic, 48-38.

The loss drops the Lady Knights to 2-6 this season.

West Bladen opened the game with a pair of baskets by Jerena Purdie and buckets from Logan Autry and Jenna Dove for the 8-0 lead, but the Lady Wolfpack answered with a 5-1 spurt to finish the first quarter trailing 9-5.

West Bladen maintained its lead through the first half of the second quarter, but Whiteville’s press began to bother the Lady Knights and the Lady Wolfpack outscored West Bladen by a 13-10 margin to whittle the deficit to 19-18 at the half.

The Lady Knights had 11 turnovers in the half.

” We need to get everyone on the same page,” said West Bladen coach Rick Rhoda. “That press shouldn’t bother us.”

Alanna Ludlum canned her lone field goal of the game to open the second half for West Bladen before the lady Wolfpack went on a 12-0 run to take the lead for good, 30-21.

Akira Grimes scored an old-fashioned three-point play to stop the bleeding, but Whiteville canned a three-pointer and, after a basket by Erika McKoy, Whiteville sank two free throws to finish the third quarter with a 35-26 edge.

After the lady Wolfpack canned the first shot of the fourth frame, McKoy sank a free throw and Patience Parker drained a basket — but the two teams traded points the rest of the way as West Bladen left a number of points on the floor by going 4-of-13 at the line in the final 8 minutes.

The Lady Knights also had another 12 turnovers in the second half.

“We have to protect the ball better and play hard for four quarters,” Rhoda said. “We’ve also got to get used to playing man-to-man. But overall I’m pleased with the progress I’m seeing.”

Purdie and Grimes shared scoring honors for West Bladen with eight points each. Laikyn Pait scored all six of her points in the second quarter and also tallied nine rebounds and six steals. Logan Autry had five assists for the Lady Knights.