ELIZABETHTOWN — The list of accolades for Lacey Suggs, East Bladen High’s four-sport star, continued to roll in this week when a panel of 17 sportswriters from across the state tabbed her for the 2015-16 Associated Press All-State Prep Basketball team.
Suggs received 11 votes from the panel.
“It is not a surprise,” said Patty Evers, athletics director and varsity girls basketball coach at East Bladen. “She has been all-state all four years (for NCpreps) and has been the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association Region 4 Player of the Year the past two. It is a great honor for her and we are very proud of all of her accomplishments. She has been a great leader and is very deserving.”
The Lady Eagles’ 5-foot, 10-inch power forward averaged 22.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5 steals and 4.4 assists per game. She helped lead East Bladen to the East Region finals, where they fell to eventual Class 2-A state champion High Point and finished the season 31-1.
During her four years with the Lady Eagles, Suggs was part of a senior class that included Abby Ward, Christiana Cromartie and Miller Heustess that put together a career record of 102-11. She also scored a total of 2,139 points — good for third all-time on the East Bladen scoring list behind Courtney Melvin and Anne Hancock.
Suggs was also named the Four County Conference Player of the Year three straight years and earned inclusion as a first-team player on The Fayetteville Observer’s annual All-Cape Fear Region team and the Wilmington Star-News’ All-region team multiple times.
In January, Suggs was named the Mountaire/Civitas Media Scholar-Athlete Award winner, earning her a $1,000 college scholarship. She is also one of six finalists for the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, which comes with an additional $1,500 scholarship.
Suggs will attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall, and is a preferred walk-on for the Lady Seahawks’ basketball team.
Robeson County had two AP All-State players tabbed from the split Class 1-A/2-A Three Rivers Conference.
On the boys side, Fairmont’s Alshaquan Williams was tabbed after averaging 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Golden Tornadoes, who finished 26-1 after getting knocked out of the state playoffs in the fourth round.
On the girls side, A’Terria Quick of South Robeson was named after averaging 26.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game. She helped lead the Lady Mustangs to an 18-10 mark.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.