Pender played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 61-23 defeat at the hands of the East Bladen Eagles. The Patriots were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-9.
| 01/03/25 @ East Bladen | 18 |
| 12/20/24 @ South Columbus | 10 |
| 12/19/24 vs Lakewood | 10 |
| 12/13/24 @ Wallace-Rose Hill | 6 |
Despite the loss, Pender saw an underclassman step up: freshman Maddison Francis almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Francis has scored all season.
East Bladen's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ariel Cromartie, who went 8 of 9 on her way to 17 points along with six boards and five assists. That's the most assists Cromartie has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of NeNe Ward, who went 7 of 9 en route to 15 points along with five assists and four steals.
Pender's defeat dropped their record down to 1-3. As for East Bladen, their victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-2.
Pender will venture away from home to challenge Red Springs at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. As for East Bladen, they will welcome Heide Trask at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. East Bladen is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.2 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
