ALBANY – It’s a tough situation for a high school basketball team: They are in the middle of a region championship chase, but they also want to take part in a special occasion like the MLK Holiday Classic at Monroe High School. Facing schools not normally on the schedule – and one of them previously unbeaten – Colquitt County High’s boys and girls pulled out victories Monday ahead of Friday’s trip to bitter rival Tift County.

Both the GHSA Class 7A Packers and Lady Packers took on teams from the A Class, and in the case of the boys it was the unbeaten Terrell County High Greenwave from Dawson. Coach Tremaine Facison’s Packers were finally looking to win a game away from Moultrie in the 2020 calendar year, and even though it was technically a ‘neutral site’ encounter, Terrell may have felt more at home in the green-colored Monroe gym.

But with 19 points from Tyler Walker and 15 from Henry Daniels, Colquitt County handed Terrell its first loss of the season 63-58. It was a come-from-behind effort, for the Greenwave led 30-27 after a first half where Facison said the Packers didn’t show a lot of energy.

But about three minutes into the second half, Walker’s three-point play sent Colquitt out in front 37-36. Omarian Daniels then blocked a shot, and the basketball went the other way for Walker’s lay-in.

As the third quarter moved under 2:30, Terrell County took back momentum, first from making a 3-point shot and stealing the ball. The Greenwave were a full-court pressing team, and using more takeaways they went on an 8-1 run. With 28 seconds on the clock, another shot taken from outside the arc rolled through the rim, and Terrell set up the press for an immediate turnover and basket.

Still with time, Montavious Ponder found Henry Daniels open under Colquitt’s scoring backboard, and the senior forward beat the buzzer. Terrell’s advantage stood at four, 49-45.

Daniels’ height made a good target for passes against the press, and on the first touch of the fourth quarter the point guard Ponder found that target for a scoring connection. Daniels found himself taking trips to the foul line as well. He went 2-for-2 towards the end of the third quarter, but 0-for-2 in his first fourth-quarter chances. No problem, for Walker slipped in the lane to rebound and score.

Not too much time later, Walker grabbed another offensive rebound and scored what would be the game-winning basket, 52-51 Packers. Elijah Scott, coming off a 31-point game in Friday’s win over Camden County at home, stuck a high post jumper when Ponder spotted him open vs. the press.

Colquitt proceeded to attack the rim, Ponder and Walker adding four to the total and making for the biggest lead of the half, 60-53.

In the final minute, Terrell completed a 5-0 run and caused the Packers to lose possession trapping at the sidelines. But Omarian Daniels got a piece of the potential tying 3-pointer, and the ball returned to Henry Daniels’ hands for foul shots that put the victory away. It was Colquitt’s ninth win of the season overall, two more than in Facison’s first season of 2018-19.

• Janiah Ellis, often having to sit key minutes due to foul trouble, and Camille Singletary each scored 15 points as the Colquitt County girls basketball team went back and forth with a game Greenville High club from Meriwether County in the Monroe High gym. The Lady Packers of Rondesha Williams survived 47-41 to improve to 17-4.

Singletary had four of Colquitt’s first six as she was showing the most spark from her point guard slot. She scored one basket off stealing a rebound, but overall the Colquitt half-court game was slow to develop. Ellis was 0-for-2 for more than five minutes, and then she and Audreyanna Rowland did a ‘two-girl’ game for 8-3 Lady Packers.

The team’s second-leading scorer, freshman Carliss Johnson, didn’t get any marks in the scorebook until a pick-pocket steal late in the quarter. It was 10-3 with eight minutes gone.

Johnson then opened the second with a nice fast-break bounce pass to forward Gracie Belle Paulk. But the Lady Packers, still short-handed without regular starting forward Keyana Harper, lost any offensive touch while Greenville scored 12 in a row. The Lady Patriots made two straight 3-pointers to lead 15-12. Colquitt finally broke the streak at 3:23 with Singletary’s penetration field goal.

Things were still going Greenville’s way, however, with two Colquitt turnovers and two put-back baskets (19-14). Ellis sat most of this action out with two fouls, and she returned to the court with 1:54 remaining. Johnson and Ellis combined to put seven points on the board to tie the game, but Greenville’s third trey – two steps from the arc – with 34 seconds on the clock made for the 24-21 halftime score.

Ellis went into the break with her third personal foul. Greenville was able to counter the early third-quarter steals by Rowland and Singletary, and Colquitt could not capitalize on three turnovers. But down 28-23, the LPs went on a 7-0 run with Rowland’s offensive board and assist to Singletary and the point guard’s steal of an inbound. It was Rowland’s turn to contribute points as she took Ellis’ feed low and broke a 30-30 tie.

That was the start of an 8-0 run, the rest of the scoring by Ellis and Singletary. But up 38-30 early in the fourth period, Colquitt couldn’t avoid one more funk with turnovers, no rebounds and Ellis’ fourth foul. Greenville tied the game 38-38, a tie Paulk broke taking Singletary’s fast-break assist with less than four minutes to play.

Johnson caught an overthrow and went the other way to score at 2:44. With the score 43-39, Greenville had four chances in one possession but got nothing as the clock sank under a minute.