HAHIRA — After a pair of road games to start the week, Valwood returned to the Eager Sports Center on Thursday to take on the Lanier County Bulldogs. The Valiants saw their early undefeated stretch ended at the hands of Lanier, 61-51. Lanier’s Lady Bulldogs won over Valwood, 49-32.
Lady Valiants
With around two minutes left in the first quarter, the Lady Valiants held onto a 9-5 lead. After a successful shot from Carolyn Griner, the Lady Valiant lead was pushed to seven points with less than one minute to go in the 1st. Caylee Collins scored to end the quarter, giving Valwood a 13-5 lead after a Lanier County shot attempt was no good at the buzzer.
After a Bella Shaw steal with around seven minutes left in the half, Collins scored another basket, pushing the Valwood lead to 10. Lanier responded with an 8-0 run, cutting the lead down to two with 4:15 left in the period.
Anna Harvey Shaw scored the next Lady Valiants basket at 3:13 to double that advantage, but Lanier hit a three-pointer. A free throw then tied the game at 17-17. Emma Burnett regained the lead for Valwood at 19-17, but the Lady Bulldogs went back ahead and were up 23-19 at halftime.
To start the second half, Lanier County made a free throw. Griner cut the lead to three points on a successful basket. Burnett got a steal on the next Lanier possession but the Lady Valiants were unable to capitalize on the turnover.
Shaw scored and midway through the quarter, Lanier held a 26-23 lead. Valwood had opportunities, but it was the visitors who surged, an 8-0 run that lasted through the end of the third. Valwood was down 34-23 entering the fourth quarter.
Lanier’s run to end the third extended further in the fourth with seven more points.
Lacy Ann McLeod broke the Valwood silence at 5:50 but Lanier soon held a 43-25 advantage. The Lady Valiants brought in younger players as the game wound down. The youth had a 4-0 run after baskets from Ansley Holmes and Griner.
Valwood fell to 3-3 on the season.
Valiants
Early in the first, the Valiants were down 2-0 after a quick basket by the Bulldogs, but tied the game after a Chase Helfer basket with three minutes into the quarter. Cort Kurrie then answered another Lanier basket with one of his own. The teams traded baskets again, but the Bulldogs made a three to go ahead 9-6 at 2:11.
Kurrie had a steal and score, but it Lanier up at quarter’s end, 12-8.
A minute into the second period, Kurrie cut the deficit to a single point with a three-pointer. Lanier responded, then Richard Hunter sank a free throw to keep the margin at two points.
Jack Morris’ three-point shot again cut Lanier’s lead to a point in the second quarter. The Bulldogs answered with their own three-pointer, sparking an 8-0 run late in the half.
Down 24-15 with 3:20 to go in the second quarter, Morris made his second three of the night and, after a basket by Hunter, the Valiants were down four points with 2:20 left. Soon, it got even closer on Morris’ third triple, coming off an assist by William Woodall. His fourth got Valwood to to a two-point deficit, but Lanier was ahead 32-28 at intermission.
A third quarter Lanier run pushed their lead higher. Woodell scored the last basket of the period for Valwood, but they were down 47-34 doing into the fourth period.
Ethan Owens made a three to begin the fourth quarter. Another by Morris cut the deficit to eight points with under six minutes to play, but the Bulldogs had another run in them, a 10-0 spree to open the game up at 58-40 with 2:20 remaining.
Valwood scored eight straight, six on three-pointers by Owens and a basket by Kurrie. With 40 seconds to go, the Valiants were closer down eight after a three by Kurrie, then got the ball back after a five-second violation by Lanier. A three-pointer would not fall, however, and Lanier added an insurance basket for the final score.
The Valwood boys have a pair of Christmas tournament games, against Southwest Georgia Academy and Thomas County Central Dec. 18-19. Valwood’s teams play together again after Christmas, Jan. 4, 2023 at home against SGA.