Lady Hounds take control late, remain in hunt for region title

GIRLS BASKETBALL

  • Amaris Ridgeway brings the ball up the floor to set the offense against Dutchtown. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Amaris Ridgeway brings the ball up the floor to set the offense against Dutchtown. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • Shakiya Betha grabs a defensive board to move the ball toward the offensive end of the floor. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Shakiya Betha grabs a defensive board to move the ball toward the offensive end of the floor. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • Lady Greyhounds head coach ChoRhonda Gwaltney-Harris gives instructions during a second-half timeout on Friday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    Lady Greyhounds head coach ChoRhonda Gwaltney-Harris gives instructions during a second-half timeout on Friday. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
  • The Lady Hounds controlled the second half against Dutchtown, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-12. BRAD HARRISON/Staff
    The Lady Hounds controlled the second half against Dutchtown, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-12. BRAD HARRISON/Staff

    Both the Lady Greyhounds and Dutchtown had a clear goal entering Friday’s region contest – to keep pace with the region leaders and stay in position to make a late run at a region title. Both had region losses to Warner Robins and Union Grove with wins over all other region opponents so far this season.

    The Lady Greyhounds tightened their grip on third place, beating the Bulldogs 39-33 to improve to 12-3 overall and 4-2 in the region.

    “Any win in the region is a good win. We’re right there with (Dutchtown) at three and four,” Lady Greyhounds head coach ChoRhonda Gwaltney-Harris said. “It was a good win for us and puts us in a good place and keeps us in the hunt for a region championship.”

    The win came as Jones County dug deep in the second half, navigating Dutchtown’s zone defense that played a part in just one field goal and four points overall in the second quarter, resulting in a 17-11 Lady Hounds lead at halftime.

    “We didn’t knock down many shots. We weren’t as aggressive taking it to the hole,” Gwaltney-Harris said. “But, we pulled it out in the end; that’s all that matters.”

    Mya Epps, who scored 13 points, helped the Hounds break out of a cold snap to a degree coming out of the locker room, draining a 3-pointer from the corner on the Jones County’s first trip down the floor in the second half, one of two shots from behind the three-point arc in the third with the other being from Carlie Skinner for a 27-20 lead with 1:13 left in the third.

    “It was just good to score, we scored more points in the first two minutes of the third than the entire second quarter,” Gwaltney-Harris said.

    The Bulldogs rallied back, cutting the lead to 27-26 early in the fourth before a pair of quick layups by Shania Bryant, who added 12 points on Friday, extended the lead to 31-26 with 5:15 to go. The Lady Hounds came up with an answer each time Dutchtown rallied in the final quarter, notably a basket plus a free throw by Amaris Ridgeway right after the Bulldogs inched closer with a bucket of their own.

    An Epps layup all but sealed the game with 2:01 to go, giving JCHS a 35-30 lead.