RAEFORD, N.C. — Also in action Monday beginning their final week of the regular season were the Ellerbe Middle School basketball teams.
With the Lady Wildcats fighting for a top-three finish in the Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference standings, both teams unfortunately came up on the losing end to West Hoke Middle School.
Foul trouble hurts Lady Wildcats at West Hoke
Entering the day, head coach Derek Anderson’s basketball team was in a three-way tie with West Hoke and Hamlet Middle School for second place in the SEMSAC, with all three teams posting a 5-2 overall record.
But it was the Lady Tigers who edged Ellerbe 43-25 to remain in a second-place tie (Hamlet defeated Cordova Middle School 37-13).
Trailing by just five points, 29-24, at the start if the fourth quarter, Ellerbe saw three of its top players foul out. Curtia Crump, Layla Hayden and Nyla Stroman all reached five fouls in the early part of the fourth quarter, as the trio had combined for 23 of the team’s points.
Without their top players, Ellerbe would be outscored 14-1 in the final six minutes of play. Crump led the Lady Wildcats with 10 points, followed by nine from Stroman and another four from Hayden.
Anderson’s squad (5-3) will end its season Thursday against in-county opponent Hamlet (6-2). Tip off is set for 4 p.m. in Ellerbe.
McBride’s 25 points not enough against Tigers
The Ellerbe boys’ basketball team, as of Tuesday, wasn’t projected to make the six-team playoff bracket this season. The Wildcats fell to 2-6 on their campaign with a 52-39 loss to the Tigers.
One bright spot for head coach Tommy Shelton’s team this season has been eighth grade point guard Emoni McBride. Earlier in the season, McBride scored a career-high 37 points against Christ the Cornerstone Academy, and has been consistently scoring in the mid 20s in each game.
He finished Monday’s loss with a team-leading 25 points. Joining him with double digits was fellow eighth grader Jh’Kwon Covington with 12 points. The Wildcats trailed early, 15-2, before not being able to recover from a 27-6 halftime deficit.
Ellerbe will end its regular season by hosting the Hamlet Red Rams Thursday at 5 p.m.
