MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County girls basketball team got a career-high 18 points from Taquella Coates and dominated on the boards to defeat Dougherty High 52-31 on Tuesday in the first round of the Great Southern Shootout at Westside High in Macon.

The victory sends the Lady Packers to a 4:30 p.m. winners bracket game today against Vidalia, which advanced with a win over Central-Macon earlier Tuesday.

The victory was the second in 11 days over the Lady Trojans and the scores were similar.

Colquitt won 43-29 when the two teams met in Albany on Dec. 9.

The Lady Packers, now 6-3, jumped out to a 16-7 lead and were never seriously threatened.

Both Coates and Jessica Lemus recorded double-doubles.

Coates had 10 rebounds to go along with her game-high 18 points. Lemus had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Ashley Stafford also was in double-figures in scoring with 10. Dorothy Strong, Nikki Hudson and Laquita Smith each had three points.

“Coates worked hard inside,” Lady Packers coach Joe Parker said of his 6-foot sophomore post player. “And we gave it to her sweet some, too.”

The previous high game for Coates, who is now averaging 7.2 points a game off the bench, was 10 against Bainbridge back on Dec. 2.

Parker said he was pleased with how his team rebounded.

“We cleared the boards pretty good,” said Parker, adding that his team pulled down some 40 rebounds. “And we played hard.”

If the Lady Packers can get by Region 3-AA Vidalia today, they will advance to the tournament’s Division I championship game scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday. A loss would send them to a 3 p.m. Thursday game with a chance for third place.