CLARKTON – Khadijah Jones and Mariah Smith combined for 18 points Thursday night to lead Clarkton School of Discovery to a 29-16 victory over Elizabethtown in the Bladen Five Middle School Conference Girls Championship Game.
Jones topped all scorers with 11 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. Smith finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Teammate Lauren Bowen added 4 points and 6 rebounds, and AnnaGrey Heustess grabbed 5 rebounds.
Guard Alexus Mitchell led the Elizabethtown scoring with 10 points. Teammate Lavada Jackson grabbed 5 rebounds, and Kayleigh Raynor finished with 4 rebounds.
Jones grabbed a loose ball and banked it in for the first Clarkton basket, and Smith drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Jones dropped in a lay-up for 7-0 Lady Blue Devil lead. Mitchell popped in a 12-footer to pull the Lady Cougars to within 7-2 lead.
Mitchell blocked a shot and raced for a lay-up to begin the second period that sliced the CSD lead to 7-4. Bowen banked in a one-hander from 8 feet, and Jones scored on a follow shot.
Katie Evans cut to the basket for a lay-up off of a feed from Heustess, and Heustess snatched a rebound and turned it into a 3-point play for a 16-4 Lady Blue Devil lead. Mitchell connected from 15 feet to trim the margin to 16-6 at halftime.
Smith started the second half with a free throw, and Jones sprinted for a transition lay-up and a 19-6 lead. Tinyauh Rhoda answered with a lay-up in transition for the Lady Cougars.
Jones sank 2 free throws, and Smith banked in a follow shot to stretch the lead to 23-8. Lavada Jackson put back a rebound basket to whittle the lead to 23-10 at the quarter break.
Sara Gargala dropped in a rebound basket for Clarkton to start the final quarter, but Armani Cowan banked in a 6-footer for Elizabethtown. Jones turned a rebound into a lay-up for Clarkton, and Bowen drove for a lay-up and a 29-12 lead.
Mitchell nailed a 3-point shot from the left wing then hit a free throw to slice the final margin to 29-16.
Coach Chris Callihan’s Lady Blue Devils won the regular season and tournament championships and posted an 8-0 record. Coach Eric Hines’ Lady Cougars were the regular season and tournament runners-up and completed their season with a 5-3 record.
ELIZABETHTOWN (16) – Brianna Phillips, Kayleigh Raynor, Tinyauh Rhoda 2, Azavich Rhodie, Lavada Jackson 2, Ashley Leon Orellana, Destinee Blake, Alexus Mitchell 10, Armani Cowan 2, Carlie West, Chelsey Herring, Laura Davidson.
CLARKTON SCHOOL OF DISCOVERY (29) – Mariah Smith 7, Lily Lin, Tara Rogers, Khadijah Jones 11, Sara Gargala 2, Lauren Bowen 4, Katie Evans 2, AnnaGrey Heustess 3, Lauryn Williams, Maegan Burney, Karli Priest, Emma Turbeville.
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