Basketball Recap: East Columbus Comes Up Short

East Columbus was the 76-66 winner over East Bladen when they last played one another back in March, but their luck changed this time around. The East Columbus Gators had to suffer through a 63-30 loss at the hands of the East Bladen Eagles. The Gators were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-12.

When it comes to explaining why East Columbus lost on Friday, don't look at Malia Graham. Despite the final result, she went 6 for 7 on her way to 12 points in addition to six rebounds and five blocks. Graham is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted two or more in the last four games she's played.

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Previous 1 Games

12/20/24 - Home

30-63 L

Even though they lost, East Columbus smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 36 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

East Bladen had a senior duo take command as Laila Smith dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds and NeNe Ward went 6 of 11 on her way to 17 points and seven steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Ariel Cromartie, who posted ten points along with seven boards and four steals.

With the loss, East Columbus broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 5-3. As for East Bladen, the win (which was their eighth in a row) raised their record to 9-1.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. East Columbus will get a bit of extra time to process the defeat as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on South Columbus at 6:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025. East Bladen and East Duplin will round out the year against one another at at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are headed into the matchup with plenty of momentum (East Bladen has won nine straight at home dating back to last season, while East Duplin won three straight on the road), something that'll have to change.