The Thomson Lady Bulldogs basketball team went 1-2 in the Brewton-Parker New Year’s Classic in Mount Vernon, Ga., on Dec. 29-31. The Lady Bulldogs’ record is now 6-5.
In the first round, Thomson defeated Tattnall County 54-47.
The Lady ’Dogs pressured Tattnall during the first half and built a 13-point lead. They continued to create turnovers in the second half and built a 19-point lead in the third quarter, said coach Michael Williams.
“They began to press us towards the end of the third quarter, slowing us down and shrinking the lead to one point,” Williams said. “We settled down, increased our tempo and extended the lead to seven with free throws to win the game.”
The leading scorers were Brittany Reid with 16 points, Asheleigh Burnett and Jadah Lawson with 10 points each and Nekia McNair with 9 points.
The team’s other two games of the tournament were close, with the Lady Bulldogs losing by a combined five points.
They played Groves High School, of Savannah, Ga., on Friday and lost 41-38.
“We came out very sluggish to start the game and were never able to have all five girls on the court giving the same intensity level,” Williams said.
Despite these struggles, the first half ended with Thomson leading 21-19.
Williams said the second half was sloppy, and the team couldn’t sustain the level of defensive pressure they applied in the previous day’s win over Tattnall County.
The leading scorers were Burnett with 10 points, McNair with 9 and Aleisheia Johnson with 8.
Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs lost another heartbreaker to Turner County High School, of Ashburn, Ga.
The final score was 36-38. Thomson’s top scorers were Burnett with 11 points, McNair with 10, Jaylan Howard with 7 and Reid with 6.
“We had opportunities at the end to go ahead but were unable to score the ball,” Williams said.
The Lady ’Dogs next face the Academy of Richmond County in a home game Friday at 7 p.m. The match-up is their first conference game of the season.
The team then plays the Harlem Bulldogs at home Tuesday at 6 p.m.
