Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only the East Bladen Eagles walked away with it. They really took it to the Knights for the full four quarters, racking up a 76-44 victory on the road. East Bladen has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 15 contests by 20 points or more this season.
East Bladen's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Laila Smith led the charge by dropping a double-double on 20 points and 14 rebounds. Smith is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 25 games she's played. Another player making a difference was NeNe Ward, who scored 26 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Vance Charter's loss on Tuesday came despite strong showings from Emily Reese and Alyssa Bullock. Reese dropped a double-double on 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Bullock scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. Bullock is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season.
East Bladen is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 24-4 record this season. As for Vance Charter, their defeat ended an 11-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 21-3.
East Bladen will head out on the road to challenge Falls Lake at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Falls Lake sitting on 11 straight victories and East Bladen on three. Vance Charter does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
