MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County girls basketball team opened the 2022-2023 season with a 48-36 victory over Westover on Saturday in Albany, but lost its leading scorer in the process.

The Colquitt County boys dropped their opener 67-29 to the Patriots, despite the first 16 points of freshman Cason Harden’s career.

Senior guard Carliss Johnson, who scored 14 points to lead the Lady Packers in their win over Westover, suffered a severely sprained ankle early in the third quarter and has been ruled out of Colquitt County’s two games this weekend in the Fast Break Thanksgiving Shoot-out in Tallahassee.

The Colquitt girls also will play on Friday and Saturday without Amareyia Knighton, who has been sick.

The Lady Packers will face Lincoln High at 10 a.m. Friday and square off with Rickards High at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the shoot-out, which will be held at Godby High School.

Colquitt’s girls never trailed against the Lady Patriots.

“I was concerned because we didn’t seem focused going into the game,” Lady Packers coach Rondesha Williams said. “But we played really well.

“We played great defense and handled their press. The had to back off from their press and play a 2-3 zone.”

In addition to the 14 points by Johnson, who went over 1,000 career points last season, D’Zeriyah Polite added 13.

Ameris Johnson had eight.

“She was all over the floor,” Williams said of Ameris Johnson. “She was just doing what she does.”

Nyleigha Knighton added six points, Caylnn Singletary had four and Jamya Moore had three.