MOULTRIE — Before Carliss Johnson was honored on Tuesday for becoming one of just nine Moultrie/Colquitt County girls basketball players to reach 1,000 points, teammate Amareyia Knighton put on an offensive display of her own.
Knighton scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Lady Packers to a 55-39 victory over Bainbridge on the William Bryant Court that raises the team’s record to 5-1.
The Colquitt County boys pulled to within two points of the Bearcats with 4:39 remaining in the second game, but dropped a 46-39 decision that leaves the Packers still searching for their first victory of the season.
Between the boys and girls games, Johnson was presented a commemorative basketball and saw a banner hanging in the gymnasium in recognition of reaching the scoring milestone.
She scored her 1,000th point in a game against Camden County last January and finished the season with 1,078 points.
She started her senior season with 14 points in the first half the Lady Packers’ season-opening victory over Westover last month before suffering an ankle injury. She has not played since.
Colquitt County coach Rondesha Williams gives credit for Johnson’s outstanding play to her father, Carlos Johnson.
“It’s not on me or coach (Stephanie) Cody,” Williams said when asked about her senior’s success. “Her dad has trained her. He has instilled his basketball knowledge in her.
“He has done a great job. We’ve just been blessed to be a part of it.”
Johnson is averaging 15.2 points a game in her career.
Williams said Johnson’s severely sprained ankle is healing slowly and she hopes to have her back on court for the Vereen Christmas Shootout, which will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
“But I’m not rushing her,” Williams said.
The Lady Packers have been able to survive without Johnson thus far, with only a one-point loss to Rickards High in Tallahassee’s Fastbreak Thanksgiving Shootout marring their record.
Colquitt had defeated Bainbridge 59-16 on the road on Dec. 6, but Williams was not expecting another blowout on Tuesday.
“We knew they were going to be better and they were going to put up a fight,” Williams said. “They didn’t quit playing.”
Knighton did her best to discourage the Lady Bearcats, scoring 15 points in the first quarter.
“She opened the floodgates,” Williams said of Knighton, who is just a sophomore. “But that is just a touch of what she can do. She is a true player.”
Amareyia’s sister Nyleigha, a junior, scored four points.
“Neither one of them knows how much talent they have inside them,” Williams said. “We’re just waiting for them to open up.”
The Lady Packers second-leading scorer against Bainbridge was D’Zeriyah Polite, who had 15.
But Williams says Polite’s value to the Lady Packers comes at the other end of the court.
“She has to understand that she is our defensive spark,” Williams said. “When we are in sync on defense, nobody can stop us.
“We have a small team so we have to do everything correctly when we step on the court. We have to play defense, hit our free throws and we can’t have people foul out.”
Also against Bainbridge, the Lady Packers got three points from Carliss Johnson’s sister Ameris and from Jamya Moore. Jermani Triplett added a basket.
The Lady Packers are likely to be challenged when they compete Monday and Tuesday in the Carrollton Christmas Showcase.
Colquitt will face showcase host Carrollton at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
The Lady Trojans are 4-2, but went a combined 54-7 over two previous seasons.
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Lady Packers will meet Class 5A’s Hiram High, which is 5-2. The Lady Hornets posted a 37-15 combined record the last two years.
The Colquitt County boys had lost their first meeting with Bainbridge by 36 points, but on Tuesday, with several key performers joining the team after football season ended, the Packers appeared more potent.
Colquitt trailed by just three at the half, but the Bearcats extended that lead to 10 heading into the final quarter.
An early free throw sent the Bainbridge fourth-quarter advantage to 11 before Colquitt strung together three straight 3-pointers from I’marius Bussie, Jakari Byrd and Calvin Washington to cut the Bearcats lead to 35-33.
Bainbridge called a timeout and then immediately got five quick points from Keith Gaines and the Bearcats held on for the seven-point win.
Bussie led the Packers with 13 points, all in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter.
Washington had nine on three 3-pointers.
Byrd had five; Jae Lamar and Everett Green each had four; Cam Harden had two; and Naryan Sumlin and Zay Williams added free throws.
The Packers will play next in the Vereen Christmas Shootout beginning Dec. 28.