Even though the East Columbus Gators have not done well against the Whiteville Wolfpack recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. East Columbus managed a 48-42 win over Whiteville. Given East Columbus' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 69th, while Whiteville is ranked 413th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
East Columbus found their leader in underclassman Malia J. Graham, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Chynna Patrick, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Whiteville lost, one person who can't be blamed is Elayzia Dawson. Despite the final result, she scored 21 points along with three steals. That was a full 50% of Whiteville's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ceonna Dennis, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds.
East Columbus' victory bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Whiteville, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season.
East Columbus will head out on the road to face off against Heide Trask at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Heide Trask is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak. As for Whiteville, they will be playing in front of their home fans against East Bladen at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. East Bladen will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
