By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
W.S. Neal Middle School's second encounter with Ernest Ward went much better than its first.
The Blue Eagles avenged a 26-22 loss at the Florida school back on Nov. 28 with a solid 32-23 win at East Brewton Monday.
W.S. Neal (7-2) snapped a 6-6 deadlock in the final minute of the first quarter on a pair of free throws by Joseph Adkins and a bucket from Kenny Kiser to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Although the Blue Eagles managed just a three-pointer by Quinton Burnett and a hoop from Kiser in the second quarter, their stingy defense enabled them to stretch their lead up to 15-8 by halftime.
Ernest Ward reduced that advantage to 24-18 by the end of the third quarter, but the Blue Eagles pulled away down the stretch thanks to a pair of buckets and two free throws by Kiser, who led all scorers with 17 points.
W.S. Neal's girls dropped a 20-10 decision to Ernest Ward.
One big plus for the Lady Blue Eagles was the play of Shuterica Lipscomb. Lipscomb had not scored a point all season until Monday when she erupted for a team-high eight points.
W.S. Neal (0-9) was held scoreless for the first nine and a half minutes of the game until Lipscomb drained a three-pointer. Ernest Ward already had an 8-0 lead prior to that shot.
Lipscomb also hit another three-pointer late in the third quarter that brought the Lady Blue Eagles to within 13-8, but Ernest Ward's Emily Vickery began the fourth quarter with a three-pointer and two additional field goals that extended the vistors' cushion to 20-8.
W.S. Neal closed out its season Tuesday at Flomaton.
Girls
Ernest Ward 2 6 5 7 - 20
W.S. Neal 0 3 5 2 - 10
W.S. NEAL- Lipscomb 8, Davis 2
Ernest Ward 6 2 10 5 - 23
W.S. Neal 10 5 9 8 - 32
W.S. NEAL- Kiser 17, Travis 5, Campbell 5, Burnett 3, Adkins 2