Diamond Hall (15) scored 20 points, brought down seven rebounds and had five steals in Thursday’s win over Monroe.

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County basketball teams closed a remarkable 2016 portion of their schedule by sweeping Monroe in the final two games of the Vereen Rehabilitation Shoot-out on Thursday on the William Bryant Court.

The Colquitt County boys, who went just 7-16 last season, held on to defeat the Tornadoes 60-59 and will take a 12-2 record into next Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. home game against Dougherty.

The Lady Packers, who suffered a disappointing 63-52 loss to Valdosta on Wednesday, rebounded to conquer Monroe 67-45. Colquitt’s girls will be 11-3 when they play host to Dougherty at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

That the two teams are a combined 23-5 is startling and probably historic.

But the surprisingly strong start by the Packers is one of the county’s biggest sports stories of the year.

The Colquitt County boys have not been in double-digit wins for a season since the 2008-2009 team went 11-18.

Only 11 times since 1978-1979 has a Colquitt County boys team won more games in a whole season than this year’s Packers have won in their first 14 games.

Win No. 12 on Thursday came after the Packers built a 31-16 halftime lead, then were outscored 43-29 over the last two quarters by the Tornadoes.

The game was the eighth in 11 days for the Packers and it showed.

“We looked tired,” coach Andy Harden said. “We had played a bunch of games in a short period of time.”

The Packers also played without DaNas Andrews, who suffered a badly sprained ankle in the victory over Lafayette (Ala.) the night before, and Kaleb Dawson, who was in Macon to prepare to play in the Rising Seniors all-star football game.

And then Quentin Dopson, who filling in for Andrews, was poked in the eye and missed several minutes.

The Packers got 13 points from both Cameron Singletary and Tyrese King and 10 more from Jy Andrews.

Colquitt County girls coach Rondesha Williams was not pleased with her team’s play in the loss to former region foe Valdosta.

“We didn’t come out ready to play and when they pressed, we panicked,” she said.

Against the Lady Cats, Colquitt was led by Za’Nautica Downs, who had 22 points.

Diamond Hall added 13; Kiarra Lovett and Abiyah Spencer each had five; Akia Sutton had three; and Tionna Hunt and Ty’Asia McNeal each had two.

The Lady Packers appeared ready on Thursday, however.

“We came out on fire,” Williams said. “Our girls were not going to lay down.”

The junior tandem of Downs and Hall were on the top of their games against Monroe.

Downs had 31 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots.

Hall added 20 points, seven rebounds, five steals and seven rebounds.

McNeal came off the bench to score seven points; Lovett had four points and seven rebounds; Stokes had three points and Sutton added two.

Although the Lady Packers defeated Dougherty by 30 points in Albany on Dec. 3, Williams is wary of the 4-8 Trojans.

Williams said she was pleased with the turnout and community support of the Shoot-out, which is in its fifth year.