SHALLOTTE — The East Bladen Eagles snatched their first victory of the year on a Ronnie Covington buzzer-beater against the West Brunswick Trojans in a non-conference match-up last Tuesday. East Bladen head coach Aking Elting had seven players available to him due to some of his players’ involvement in the football team’s playoff run but his team was still able to get the job done. Sherman Long led the Eagles offense in scoring with 16 points and he drained four three-pointers in the second half to help conquer the Trojans away from home.
The game was back-and-forth as both teams traded shots with one another but the Eagles shooting from behind the arc was the difference maker. The Eagles drained five three-point attempts in the third quarter with Lee Barnes and Long having the hot hands. West Brunswick attempted to pull away but the visitors hung around until Covington dropped the decisive jumper at the buzzer.
Sophomore forward Jude Surigao was the leading scorer for the Trojans with 15 points as the host fell to 0-2 on the season. Junior guard Dominick Collins was the Eagles second leading scorer of the game with 13 points and he went 7-of-9 from the charity strip. The Eagles will take on West Bladen this Tuesday for their second straight road trip to start the year.
EAST BLADEN GIRLS
SHALLOTTE-The East Bladen Lady Eagles defeat the West Brunswick Lady Trojans for a 44-35 victory in a non-conference match-up last Tuesday. Junior forward Laila Smith took over in the second half with 10 of her 16 points coming down the stretch to help lead the Eagles on a 14-9 run in the final minutes. The Lady Eagles took the lead early and didn’t look back as their opponents tried their best to close the gap.
East Bladen dropped three-point bombs from every which way to create the separation needed to secure the victory. Junior guard Iveonna Ward and sophomore guard Ariel Cromartie had 11 points a piece as the second leading scorers on the Lady Eagles. West Brunswick junior guard Brooklyn Coble led her team with 9 points in the loss.
The Lady Eagles start their season at 1-0 and will travel away to West Bladen this Tuesday for their next game.