ST. PAULS — The Lady Eagles kept their defense turned up high Friday and walloped St. Pauls in a non-conference game, 57-13.

The win improved East Bladen to 6-0 on the season.

Lacey Suggs erupted for 15 points in the first quarter to lead the Lady Eagles to a 23-2 advantage after just 8 minutes of play. She continued her offensive wizardry in the second stanza by pouring in seven more points, highlighted by a three-pointer, and took East Bladen into halftime with a 37-5 lead.

The Lady Eagles came out of intermission and won the third quarter by a 10-5 margin, extending the lead to 47-10.

In the fourth frame, Christiana Cromartie canned eight of East Bladen’s 10 points en route to a 10-3 period and the Lady Eagles sealed the 44-point win.

Suggs finished the game with those 22 first-half points and added eight steals. Abby Ward contributed 10 points, nine assists and five steals, while Cromartie had 10 points and two blocked shots. Emily Scott and Ashley Hardin each pulled down seven rebounds, while Miller Heustess had four steals.

The Lady Eagles will go on the road to face Wilmington Ashley on Tuesday.

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Eagles fall, 65-53

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East Bladen hung with the undefeated Bulldogs through three quarters, but couldn’t compete in the fourth frame en route to a 12-point loss.

The Eagles are now 1-2 this season.

The two teams fought back and forth through the first quarter and completed the period knotted at 15-15.

That struggle continued throughout the second quarter, but St. Pauls went into halftime clinging to a slim 27-25 advantage.

East Bladen came out of halftime and got nine points from J.R. Robinson — six on a pair of three-pointers — and went on to outscore the Bulldogs by an 18-15 verdict to edge in front, 43-42, f=going into the final frame.

That’s where things unraveled for the visitors.

St. Pauls used a 23-10 run through the fourth quarter to seal the non-conference win.

Robinson led East Bladen with 17 points, while Ethan Hines scored 12 points and Eian Hines had nine points.

The Eagles will travel to Wilmington Ashley on Tuesday.