BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Inez Indian B-team stayed perfect after defeating Eden in the championship game 13-8 Thursday night at Martin County Middle School.
Eden vs. Warfield — In the opening round on Oct. 19, Eden won over Warfield 20-11 behind double digits from Harleigh Maynard.
Maynard reeled off four straight field goals to put Eden on top 8-0 to end the first quarter.
Erica Blackburn put Warfield on the board in the second quarter with a turnaround jumper. Wildcat McKinley Fitch answered with a jump shot in the lane, and Erica Collins swiped a steal and drove to the basket for two more points for Eden. Maynard closed out the half with another bucket under the rim.
Baylee Hall came out of the locker room and hit a shot between two defenders for the Red Devils. Eden Wildcat Lexi Bowen stole the ball and banked one in for a field goal. Warfield answered with Hazelena Speakman, who dribbled around the wing before nailing a shot from the lane. Eden finished the third quarter up 18-6 after Braylee Horn dished out a dime to Fitch for two.
Warfield outscored Eden 5-2 in the fourth quarter but the Wildcats held on to advance to the championship.
Maynard led the Wildcats with 10 points, four steals and two rebounds. Fitch finished with four points, three rebounds and a block. Collins added four points and two steals. Bowen had two points, two steals and two rebounds. Alivia Stacy had three steals, an assist and one rebound. Martha Maynard had two rebounds and an assist. Skylar Linley had a team-high two blocks off the bench. Braylee Horn assisted on a shot and pulled down one board. Paislee Hinkle nabbed a steal.
Speakman led Warfield with six points, five rebounds and four steals. Hall had three points and three assists. Blackburn filled out the stat sheet with six rebounds, six steals, one block and two points. Morgan Dove had one rebound and steal. Payzlee Fletcher had two steals and McKenna Fletcher had a rebound.
Inez vs. Eden — The Indians came out hot in the second half to defeat Eden 13-8 behind Kenleigh Estep’s season-high 13 steals.
Inez Indian Harper Runyon fired in a shot in the first quarter. Eden’s Lexi Bowen matched it to knot the score up at two.
Neither team could buy a bucket in the second quarter and the teams went into halftime tied 2-2.
Runyon flipped in a basket and Aubree Muncy followed with a tough shot under the rim for Inez.
McKinley Fitch kept Eden in the game with a runner in the lane.
Estep scored all five of her points in the fourth quarter to give Inez control of the game.
Eden Wildcat Kenadi Fannin sank two from the charity stripe and Harleigh Maynard hit a layup.
Maddy Goble rang in a shot to close it out and give Inez the championship win.
Inez Indian Aubree Muncy pulled down four boards to go with her two steals and two points.
“I’m really happy that my team brought home the victory tonight,” Muncy said. “It was tough but we finished undefeated, and it feels great.”
Estep led Inez with a staggering 13 steals, seven rebounds, five points and a block. Runyon finished with four points, a steal and an assist. Kinslee Callaham nabbed five steals and an assist. Goble had five rebounds, two points and a steal.
Eden’s Fitch had seven rebounds and two points. Erica Collins had four rebounds and a steal. Fannin had two points and a rebound. Maynard stole the ball twice and added two points. Bowen pitched in two points, a steal and a rebound. Braylee Horn pulled down two boards. Alivia Stacy had three steals and two rebounds. Jeannah Fleming picked up a steal.