Lady Packers Kenyana Faulk

VALDOSTA – The free-throw shooting wasn’t 100 percent. The early 3-point shooting was certainly better than 7 percent.

In a game full of highlight-reel plays, the Colquitt County High girls basketball team made the right ones at the end to hold off Lowndes High and claim a big Region 1-7A road win Friday 58-55 at the Crimson Coliseum. While Rondesha Williams and the Lady Packers jumped to an early 2-0 advantage in the region standings, Lowndes is a surprising 1-2 out of the starting gate.

Tionna Hunt, with 12 points for the victorious Colquitt girls, made two free throws that accounted for the final score. Both sides – Colquitt and Lowndes – followed it up with 0-for-2 trips to the free-throw line, and then the much, however, happened before all of that with the lead going back and forth on a regular basis.

Janiah Ellis of the Lady Packers, though she had problems getting inside shots to fall, led all players with 26 points. After Hunt, Naia Benefield contributed seven points to Colquitt’s side. Leading scorers for Lowndes were Ta’Je Middleton with 18 points and Tiffany Smith with 15.

From a team that usually goes ice cold for a half and a half, Williams actually saw a 3-pointer go through the net on the opening possession of the contest, that shot coming from Ellis. She had five points early and a penetration assist to Benefield in a 9-6 Colquitt advantage.

Smith, the Vikette veteran point guard, was the player of the next moment in a 5-0 lead-changing run. She put back a miss from the foul line (essentially a three-point play) and stole the basketball leading to a go-ahead field goal at 11-9.

Colquitt’s little scoring drought ended thanks to Hunt and the 3-point shot at 1:37. Ellis called glass at 1:09 for 3, and both these Colquitt treys were made possible by Lowndes turnovers. It was also a tightly officiated opening quarter as both sides reached the bonus in the final minute.

One of the biggest Lady Packer advantages was due to yet another 3-pointer to fall in a second period’s opening possession. This was by Hunt taking the shot face-up on the defender and giving her side the lead of seven, 18-11. Colquitt also put a 2-3 zone defense on the Vikettes, gathered a loose ball and extended its scoring run to 12 straight.

Aalyiah Lane of Lowndes highlighted her team’s ensuing 7-0 run to get back in the game. She sunk a second-chance 3 over the zone at 4:11 until halftime. The first liability on fouls for Colquitt was starter Tim’mya Sanders. When she had to sit with three personals, Smith was back to rebounding missed foul shots and scoring 2 for 21-19 Lady Packers.

With two minutes before the break, Lane hit her second 3 of the quarter, but Benefield countered with 2 from the offensive glass (27-22). As the Lady Packers had some turnover issues, Smith fired an online strike to Kirsten Graham inside. That was followed by a charging foul on Colquitt going baseline at 17 seconds. Each side had their giveaways to close out the half, which was 27-25 still in Colquitt’s favor.

Ellis, quiet on offense for the second quarter, was setting the second-half pace with second-chance points, an immediate steal and assist to back-up forward Kenyana Faulk.

Colquitt’s 32-26 edge was just a prelude to the next Lowndes comeback with consecutive three-point plays. One was scored by Middleton, then she assisted the other to Smith. Middleton would later be on the end of Smith’s end-to-end pass that put the Vikettes in front for the first time since the first quarter 34-32 (4:30).

Eriyona Stokes of Colquitt ended Lowndes’ push assisting Faulk’s second field goal of the half. Middleton then countered on the offensive boards.

In a reminder that the Harlem Globetrotters will be at Valdosta State’s Complex on Wednesday, Ellis went behind-the-back on an assist to Stokes. That got the Lady Packers back ahead, but Middleton’s 3-ball reclaimed it at 39-37. Back and forth they went, Ellis sinking 3 and Graham putting back 2 at 1:40 for 41-40 Vikettes. With 26 seconds to go, it was Ellis following in her own missed 3, and as Lowndes committed offensive fouls the Lady Packers held that edge, 42-41, when the fourth quarter began.

Sanders, a player not known for offense, returned after her lengthy bench stay to rebound Ellis’ inside miss. She had two put-backs in all during the final period, the next one giving her team the lead 49-45 after Benefield’s penetration.

Lowndes would have, yes, a comeback, this one sparked by Smith to knot things up 52-52. Hunt broke that tie from the foul line, and despite earning her fourth foul she went to the basket for 56-52 Lady Packers. Each side had to deal with whistles, Colquitt hit with both a moving screen and block on defense. Lowndes hit just one foul shot after the block, but Colquitt threw the basketball away. Lowndes cashed in to get within one (56-55), but was called for a charge in the lane with 32.5 seconds left.

LOWNDES BEATS PACKERS

With as full as roster as they can get, Colquitt County High’s Packers couldn’t sustain enough of a rally to challenge Lowndes High in Friday’s boys Region 1-7A basketball game. The Vikings won 73-67 despite four from Colquitt scoring in double figures. The Packers dropped to 0-2 in region play.

Tyler Walker scored 14 points, KT Wilson and Samari Louis each scored 12 and Elijah Scott – back from missing Tuesday’s non-region game due to illness – added 11.

Neither side was too sharp in its offensive execution to get the game started. Center Henry Daniels blocked a shot leading to Montavious Ponder’s 3-pointer. That was the first significant scoring for Colquitt, but the Vikings answered. The hosts only led 6-4, and Walker’s nice bounce on the 3 at 2:35 sent the Packers out in front 8-6.

Louis came off the bench and went to work grabbing rebounds, but without offensive production. Lowndes then sank two treys in a row with Ponder matching on one from two steps behind the arc. The Vikings ended the quarter going to the hole and leading 14-11.

Daniels added a second block to his name opening the second, and he defended Lowndes a second time down low. But the Packers were only able to get scoring from Lemeke Brockington on the inbound assist from Wilson. It was the Vikings, leading 16-15, going on a run with a three-point play, put-back field goal, steal and foul on the fast break to go up 21-15. Again, looking ahead to the Harlem Globetrotters, Viking Miguel Acevedo dribbled behind his back to get a lay-in.

The Packers still stayed close thanks to third-chance points by Louis at 1:10. In the last nine seconds, Scott penetrated for 2 and Wilson defended the last Lowndes shot for 27-21 at the half.

Walker was carrying Colquitt’s offensive load for most of the third period with five points. Lowndes had two chances for three-point plays, converting both, and stood out the most it did all game, 44-29, at 3:07. The Packers did a little fast-breaking over the next two minutes, Ponder assisting Louis and Wilson assisting Walker. Louis finished off more transition at the 45-second mark and caused a turnover that took the game into the last period 46-38 Vikings.

Wilson started the fourth sinking 3 from the top of the key. Scott added four points, but Lowndes would go on separate 7-0 runs with takeaway and second-chance points. Donovan Powell’s 3-pointer and Louis’ third-chance basket gave Colquitt reason to hope, but it could never get closer than six.