MOULTRIE — With a 12-point lead, the Lady Packers varsity basketball team won their sixth consecutive game, defeating Richmond Hill in the first region game of the season, the final score of the game was 65-52.

The Lady Packers are now 13-1 overall and 1-0 in region play.

“That was a good win,” said head coach Rondesha Williams. “To win that first region game sets us up.”

As has become their tradition, the Lady Packers exploded from the first whistle and quickly took command of the game.

After stealing the ball, Ameris Johnson quickly passed to D’Zeriyah Polite, who continued the ball’s forward motion when she flung it to Amira Walters-Smith, who sank a 3-point basket.

Directly following that, Jamya Moore found herself with no option but to swivel around several Lady Wildcats before giving up her chance to shoot to pass the ball to Polite, who had no obstruction to the net — two more points for the Lady Packers.

Later in the first half, Johnson had another steal, this time throwing the ball to Amareyia Knighton, who had no competition for her shot.

Defensively the Lady Packers also stepped it up in the first half of the game.

Within the first minute of the game, Walters-Smith stopped a breakaway Wildcat with a perfectly placed block, and denied Richmond Hill that opportunity to put points on the scoreboard.

Johnson had a very similar play later in the quarter.

}When halftime sounded, the score was 32-22, advantage Lady Packers.

“I continue to harp on teamwork,” said Williams. “We have to keep that in the brain and continue to use each other and find those opportunities.”

The Lady Packers continued to hold the advantage for the remainder of the game.

One more steal resulted in more points for the Lady Packers; this time the ball was snatched by Knighton and passed to Polite.

Of the three steals that raised the Lady Packers scoreboard, there were 13 turnovers throughout the game.

They came from Moore, Knighton, Caylnn Singletary, Polite, Walters-Smith and Johnson.

Early in the fourth quarter, Polite had a basket where she waved through Wildcats and snaked the ball through the hoop.

Throughout the game, three Lady Packers made 3-point baskets: Knighton, Moore and Walters-Smith.

Walters-Smith was also the highest scoring Lady Packers with 23, but only by three points.

Right behind her, with a tally of 20 is Knighton.

Four other athletes scored for the Lady Packers: Moore, Polite, Singletary and Johnson.

“I tell the girls all the time life is like a ladder,” said Williams. “You continue to climbs those steps and go higher, but you always face adversity along the way. You just have to keep going.”

When the Packers faced Richmond Hill, they came up short of a victory.

With a final score of 61-51, the Packers are now 0-1 in the region and 3-9 overall.

Though they didn’t walk away with the win, the Packers had several plays during the game that demonstrated the great team they are coming into.

Ja’shar Kinsey, Zay Williams and Jakari Byrd all had 3-point baskets during the match.

Having successful steals wereJay Lamar, Zhi Alridge, Williams, Byrd and Kinsey.

In two back-to-back defensive plays during the second quarter, Lamar and Kinsey had successful blocks to stop the advancing Wildcat.

Williams also had a successful block during the game, and scored the highest for the Packers with 16 points.

Following him with nine points was Byrd, and Kinsey had eight.

The Lady Packers and Packers will next play a non-region game against Westover Saturday at Colquitt County High School.

The Lady Packers play at 4 p.m.; however, the middle school ad JV team will precede them, and directly following will be the Packers varsity basketball team.