Clint Thompson
THOMASVILLE — Offensive inefficiencies cost the Thomas County Central girls and boys basketball teams Friday night.
For the Lady Yellow Jackets it was missed layups. For the boys, it was missed free throws. The end result was a sweep at the hands of Region 1-AAAA rival Bainbridge.
Led by Alexis Burke’s 26 points, the Lady Bearcats eked past Central 61-60.
Devon Baulkman scored 24 to power the Bainbridge boys to a 61-46 victory.
“Easy shots, you’ve got to make them,” Central girls coach Jenny Johnson said. “I don’t know why we were rushing them like we were.”
Central (9-9, 3-2) started the game on fire, scoring 21 points in the first quarter. But missed shots under the basket and unforced turnovers hindered the Lady Jackets’ ability to keep pace with the high-powered Lady Bearcats.
“Atrocious,” Johnson said about the turnovers.
Bainbridge built a seven-point lead with three minutes to play. Central cut the deficit to three with less than a minute remaining. But a steal by Bainbridge’s April Thomas kept Central from possibly tying the game. Thomas added 19 points for Bainbridge, which is guaranteed the top seed in their division in the upcoming region tournament.
Central, which was led by Nynesha Terry’s 18 points, can still finish second in the division. It plays at Americus-Sumter on Tuesday.
Shots under the basket weren’t the problem for the Central boys. It was the freebies at the charity stripe that hurt the Yellow Jackets. Central converted just 13-of-26 from the free throw line. The Yellow Jackets missed seven in the fourth quarter when the Bearcats held an 18-13 scoring advantage.
“We didn’t make the free throws,” Central boys coach Reginald Knight said. “That was the difference in the game.”
Trammell Anderson scored15 to pace the Yellow Jackets. Reshard Cliett added 12 for Central which played without junior post player Ray Drew, who was away at a football camp.
Central (7-12, 3-2) managed just 11 points in the first quarter and seven in the second quarter. Bainbridge opened up a 35-20 lead early in the third quarter, as Baulkman buried three 3-pointers and scored 13 in that period.
Central chipped away at the deficit and cut the lead to 48-43 in the fourth quarter. But Anderson was called for a traveling violation as he spun in the lane for a field goal. Bainbridge outscored Central 13-3 to end the game.
Bainbridge locks a No. 1 seed in the upcoming region tournament. Like the girls, Central’s boys can still finish second.
