ELLERBE — Ellerbe Middle School’s two-game sweep streak came to an end Thursday, as the Wildcats hosted Anson Middle School.
Prior to the action against the visiting Bearcats, both the Ellerbe boys’ and girls’ basketball teams had beaten Sandy Grove Middle School and Christ the Cornerstone Academy (non-conference) in their last two games. That marked the only times all season that the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats had both beaten their opponents on the same day.
Lady Wildcats overcome early deficit for third-straight win
Head coach Derek Anderson’s Lady Wildcats clawed their way past Anson en route to a 29-3 victory. It marked the team’s third-straight win since returning from Christmas break, and now puts the Lady Wildcats at 4-2 overall, with a 3-2 record against Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference opponents.
The Lady Bearcats got out to an early 3-0 start, but that run was short-lived. A handful of Ellerbe eighth graders took control of the game and powered back on a 29-0 run of their own for the final score. Nyla Stroman finished as the game’s leading scorer, finishing with 11 points, and guided Ellerbe’s biggest run of the season.
Fellow eighth graders Curtia Crump and Chloe Nunn combined to add 12 more points on the board (six each). Crump’s six points followed up her 16-point performance against CTCA on Tuesday. Rounding out Ellerbe’s scoring with a basket each were Ashlyn Bouldin, Layla Hayden and Lakeshia Little.
Wildcats fall just short to Bearcats
In the boys’ game, head coach Tommy Shelton’s Wildcats held a 24-19 halftime lead, but saw it slip away in the final 12 minutes of regulation. Anson outscored Ellerbe 25-12 in the second half to escape with a road win, 44-36.
Ellerbe’s starting point guard Emoni McBride entered the game coming off a career-high 37-point showing, and had scored 58 points in his two previous combined games. He didn’t disappoint Thursday, spalishing home another team-high 27 points in the loss.
Down the stretch, the Wildcats missed 13 free throw attempts, which would haunt them at the final buzzer. In a game that was “won at the line,” the Bearcats connected on six of their seven free throw attempts in the final two minutes to ice the game.
Jh’kwon Covington added seven points for Ellerbe, while Freddy Hill tacked on two of his own. The boys’ team is now 2-4 on the season, with a 1-4 mark in the conference.
Both teams will be back in action Wednesday, Jan. 23, on the road at Spring Hill Middle School. It marks the first of three straight days of games, with girls’ tip set for 4 p.m.
Game information provided by Allen Adeimy.
