ATLANTA — Zia Cooke had a stellar showing in the McDonald’s All-American game, helping lead the East squad to an 83-68 victory at State Farm Arena.
The Rogers point guard, who started the game, scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds, and added in four assists in the East’s win.
Columbus Africentric’s Jordan Horston led the East in scoring with 14 points, and was named the game MVP. Mason’s Sammie Puisis added 11 for the East.
Cooke scored her first point of the game on a free throw at the 8:46 mark in the second quarter.
She scored two more foul shots in the quarter, as well as a transition layup that gave the East squad a 23-22 lead with 5:19 to go in the half. It was the East’s first lead since it led 9-6 in the first quarter. The East led for the remainder of the game.
Cooke added a pull-up jumper in the third quarter with a little more than four minutes remaining to give her team a 10-point advantage, 53-43.
In the fourth quarter, Cooke rounded out her scoring with two layups within the first five minutes.
The East started out with a 9-6 advantage, but the West squad closed out the first quarter on a 10-0 run in the final 2:19.
The West built its lead up to as many as 11 points early in the second quarter before the East went on a run.
The East outscored the West 27-13 in the second quarter.
Along with Cooke’s five points in the quarter, Horston and Cooke’s future South Carolina teammate Brea Beal (Worcester Academy, Mass.) each scored four.
At halftime, the East led 37-29.
Ten different players scored for the East team in the third quarter. The balanced production turned into a 66-46 edge going into the final 10 minutes.
The West outscored the East 22-17 in the final quarter, but the East’s lead was insurmountable by that point.
First Published March 28, 2019, 12:49 a.m.
