MOULTRIE – The outside shooting was terrible. But it only needed to be great – and it was – for a little while.

Eriyona Stokes made two 3-pointers late in the third quarter to give the struggling Colquitt County High girls basketball team a big lift going into the final period during the first game of the 2018-19 season to be played on William Bryant Court. Both Stokes and Janiah Ellis then built on that momentum to give Rondesha Williams’ Lady Packers a 40-34 non-region victory against Bainbridge High.

The game was played on Monday as both schools were involved in the GHSA football championships Tuesday and Wednesday.

Colquitt County’s girls were coming off its first loss of the season, a 55-54 setback at Valdosta High the week before. In that game, the Lady Packers were trailing the Lady Wildcats 45-35 after three quarters. The visitors then attempted 18 foul shots over the last eight minutes making 11. Ellis, who scored a game-high 23 points, was 6-for-10 at the stripe.

One week later on the home floor, Ellis was 7-for-9 in free throws, four coming down the stretch as the Lady Packers ended the game-long quest to take a big lead on the Lady Bearcats. Ellis had 19 points and Stokes 14 on four 3-pointers.

But outside shots would not fall in the first half, and Colquitt scored just two in the first three minutes of play. Tionna Hunt carried what offensive load there was for Williams, and she was on the offensive boards and creating turnovers. But at 1:28 of the quarter, Bainbridge went inside to lead by four 11-7.

In the final minute, the Lady Packers could not covert a Hunt steal. Bainbridge, however, missed a shot on penetration at the buzzer.

For the first three minutes of the second quarter, it was again just two points of production for Colquitt. Ellis’ third-chance try went in at 4:37, and with less than three minutes before the half, Hunt’s steal and score led to a game-tying three-point play. An unhappy Williams, though, saw the first chance at a lead taken away by an illegal screen call.

The coach went to the bench bringing in Keyanna Faulk. Her main contribution was getting the defensive rebound and outlet, which led to Stokes sinking her first 3-pointer at 1:42.

The Lady Packers were briefly out in front only to get another offensive foul. Bainbridge capitalized to reclaim the advantage, 19-18, at the break.

As time moved on through the third quarter, Colquitt’s girls weren’t even getting a deuce in the books. The Lady Bearcats put back two and scored from 3 at 5:11 for their biggest margin, 24-18. With the clock at 3:00, the home team was still looking for points, and Bainbridge penetrated to earn three the old fashioned way.

The drought ended with Stokes’ 3 off Ellis’ second-chance penetration at 1:42. But Bainbridge also connected from beyond the arc to stay ahead by nine, 30-21. Stokes’ teammates kept looking for her on the spot-up, and she made good one more time, with 11.5 seconds to go, for 31-24 BHS going into the fourth.

It didn’t take any time for the Colquitt offense to produce in the fourth, and defense often had something to do with it. The hosts denied any second shots in the post, then pushed the ball up to Stokes for 3 in the opening minute. Then it was Ellis with a block, dribble drive and lay-up. Then it was Ellis taking a charge … and stealing an outlet pass … and Stokes going inside the arc for a good floater out of a timeout.

The Lady Packers, with 4:47 to play, capped an 11-0 run to lead 32-31. But inside the last two minutes, Bainbridge fought back to notch a tied score 34-34. It was all Colquitt afterwards as Ellis prevented a turnover basket for the visitors and took one more charge before going clutch at the line.

With the win, Williams’ team is 7-1 and will look to get even with Valdosta on the home floor on Dec. 18.