DEAN JACKSON
WZBD.com
COLUMBIA CITY – Bellmont took one step closer to a NorthEast 8 conference title with a 53-41 win over Columbia City Friday in high school girls basketball.
Ashley Bleke tallied 23 points and was a perfect 5-of-5 at the line for the Class 3A seventh-ranked Braves (15-1, 4-0 Ne8). Emily Bleke chipped in with 10 points, including six-for-eight free throws. Bellmont hit 19 of 27 shots from the charity stripe overall.
Addie Baxter had 26 points for Columbia City. She hit 12 of 18 free throws. Alivia Kidd had 8 points.
Their poor free-throw shooting doomed the Eagles chances. They hit just 19 of 30 attempts for the game.
Bellmont built a 17-point lead when Gwen Laurent scored on a layup from the right side to make it 49-32.
The Braves took control in the second quarter, going on a 10-5 run in seven minutes to build a 21-14 advantage at halftime. They started the third quarter with a 6-0, 1-minute, 24-second run to put the game out of reach.
It was the third straight win over a ranked opponent for Bellmont and the ninth win in a row. They also topped 2A #7 Eastside on January 3rd and 2A #8 Bluffton on January 4th.
The win sets up a potential showdown with Norwell to take control of the league race on January 17th at Bellmont. With a Braves win, they claim the title outright. A Norwell win would mean a three-way tie for the crown.
It’s also the first win for Bellmont versus Columbia City since Jan. 10, 2020, a 40-31 victory in Decatur. Columbia City (14-4, 3-1) entered the game ranked fourth in 3A. The Eagles struggled to connect from the field, hitting just one field goal in the first quarter and three baskets in the second and third.
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