MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County boys basketball team, which lost its first eight games of the season, now has won five in a row as it heads into the 2022 portion of its schedule.

The Packers completed a sweep of its three games in the Vereen Sports Medicine Christmas Shoot-out by defeating Thomas County Central 40-37 on Wednesday on the William Bryant Court.

Colquitt’s boys defeated Cook on Monday and Coffee on Tuesday to continue a streak that started with wins over Deerfield-Windsor and Wayne County.

The Packers were able to win on Wednesday despite getting just two points from leading scorer Dy Williams, who played just the first 1:29 of the game before heading to the bench for the rest of the first half with three fouls.

Montana Edwards picked up the first-half slack, scoring 10 points and Colquitt led 18-10 at intermission.

Williams returned for the second half, but was held to just two free throws.

Nathan Harden scored all 10 of his points in the second half as the Packers held on for the win.

The game was not as close as the score indicates as the Yellow Jackets got a 3-pointer by Ben Taylor at the final buzzer.

Despite the win, Packers coach Tremaine Facison said he didn’t think his team played particularly well.

“Any win is a blessing,” Facison said. “But we just looked out of sync. We didn’t play that well.”

Facison said he hopes his team, which he said has “won the games we are supposed to win,” can build on the streak when it opens Region 1-7A play at Camden County on Friday, January 7.

Wednesday’s game against the Yellow Jackets was tied 2-2 when Williams was whistled for his third foul with 5:31 still left in the first quarter.

Central then got a pair of free throws from Charlie Dunbar and a put-back basket from Abe Smith to take a 6-2 lead.

But Edwards hit a 3-pointer and converted a driving layup after a steal in the final 2:18 of the first quarter and Colquitt led 7-6 heading into the second quarter.

Edwards and Imarius Bussie each hit a 3-pointer and another basket in the second quarter as the Packers built their lead to eight at 18-10 at the half.

Central outscored the Packers 14-12 in the third quarter and 13-10 in the fourth and pulled to within five on a 3-pointer by Antwan Cooper just 34 seconds into the fourth quarter.

But Harden and Jakari Byrd followed back-to-back baskets and Colquitt had built the lead to nine.

Edwards’s final basket of the game put Colquitt up 40-29 with 3:14 remaining.

The Packers did not score again, but the Jackets could not catch them.

Edwards led the Packers with 14 points.

Byrd scored eight, Bussie had five and Avari Blackwell added a second-quarter free throw.

Smith and Taylor led the Jackets, who fall to 3-9, with nine points each.

For the second day in a row, the Colquitt County girls were unable to play in the Shoot-out after they were exposed to a Rickards High player on Monday who tested positive for the coronavirus.

It will be difficult to find two games to replace the ones canceled this week, Lady Packers coach Rondesha Williams said.

The Colquitt County girls will take a 6-5 record into its game at Camden County.