Lacey Suggs’ No. 12 retired by East Bladen

ELIZABETHTOWN — She stood with her old No. 12 jersey encased, retired forever and never to be worn by another East Bladen High girls basketball player.

Lacey Suggs was hardly alone Tuesday. Not on this night with a gymnasium at capacity to see her honored the same way it filled to see her play.

“It’s an honor, and I’m thankful and blessed that this is happening,” she said afterward. “I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without my family, and my friends, and my teammates, my coaches. I say ‘thank you’ to Coach Evers, Coach Kirby, and my Uncle Alan, and especially my family. They’ve been supportive of me since Day 1.”

She’s the fourth player to have her jersey retired in the program. Her references were to Patty Evers, the only coach the school has had, and her former player at the old Tar Heel High, Megan Kirby. She’s an assistant along with Alan West, another longtime member of the program.

Suggs, daughter of Karen and Mike Suggs of White Lake and little sister to Luke and Jake, penned a letter of thanks to Evers and asked the Bladen Journal to share it. It read in full:

“Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for always believing in me. Thank you for being patient with me. And most importantly, thank you for coaching me. Your continuous love and support since middle school has never faded and never has been questioned. When I started playing for you, you always knew and told me I could take it to the next level. In practice, games, tournaments, workouts, classes and all in between you never failed to push me to be the best athlete and person I could be. You have always had the best interest for me and strived for me to be the hardest worker on and off the court. You’ve taught me more than sports, you’ve taught me life lessons that I will take with me forever. Thank you for such a great experience at East Bladen and preparing myself for college and adulthood. Love you always.”

It was signed with a heart emoji.

While playing for the Lady Eagles, she helped lead the team to a 106-11 record and three league titles. East Bladen was a 2-A state semifinalist her senior year and quarterfinalist her sophomore year.

She was thrice named all-state and her conference’s best player. Suggs totaled 2,166 points and 829 rebounds. She’s actually not listed in the N.C. High School Athletic Association record book at NCHSAA.org, but the 2,166 points would be tied for 33rd of those posted so far and the 829 rebounds is just outside the 30 listed (1,017 is 30th).

Evers addressed the full house and Suggs, saying, “Thank you for being a student-athlete, doing it in the classroom first, and then doing what you had to do on the court. Most of all, we appreciate you being who you are as a person. We’re thankful and grateful to have had the opportunity to coach you. We love you.”

Suggs wanted to attend UNC Wilmington for academics and location, but with no scholarships available was forced to walk-on to the basketball team. The coach her freshman year was let go after the season, and she not only earned a scholarship under the direction of Karen Barefoot but was selected a team captain by players and coaches each of her remaining three years — somewhat famously, given that her freshman year included appearances in three games for a grand total of seven minutes. All were blowouts.

Suggs has never said her route was easy. But many times, and again this night, she has said East Bladen and Evers’ program prepared her for the rigors of college as well as becoming a young woman.

“Coming from here and then walking on to UNCW, I kind of got down my freshman year,” she said. “But, you never give up on yourself. I had to stick with that, and it got me through that first year. My sophomore year to my senior year, I fought hard and I never gave up.”

Her senior season in 2019-20 was capped with the Colonial Athletic Association’s Scholar Athlete of the Year award, presented before the tip-off of the league tournament. She then went out and helped UNCW beat the College of Charleston in the first round 69-55, which would be her final game. The next day was March 12, 2020, and COVID-19 shut down that tournament and most all American sports.

At UNC Wilmington, Suggs scored 1,059 points — just 52 shy of the grandfather for whom she was named, Lacy West, while he was playing for East Carolina from 1959-63. He’s in the ECU Hall of Fame, having been an NAIA All-American in both basketball and baseball, the latter of which he was a leader on the 1961 national champions.

Suggs’ points are 14th in UNCW history, and her 11.3 per game average is 19th. Her free throws are 12th in makes and 20th in percentage; she’s 14th in offensive rebounds and 17th in field goals made.