THOMASVILLE — Thomas County Central basketball had tried four times and had failed to get a win to open 2016 going into Friday.  

For a few moments in each game, it looked like the Yellow Jackets would squander their best chances at victory against rival Cairo. 

Both teams would not be denied this time.

Central’s girls saw themselves lose a comfortable lead in the game’s second half, but were able to stave off a Syrupmaid comeback in the final seconds in a tight 54-49 win. Meanwhile, the boys came back in their game’s final minutes after losing the lead late, escaping with a 64-62 victory.

The boys game was a close affair that went down to the final buzzer, but Central held everything in check until the Syrupmakers went on a 6-0 run in the final minutes of the first half. Jarion Carter led the Syrupmakers out of halftime by scoring seven straight points, enough for his team’s first lead of the game at 37-29. Cairo held on to its advantage throughout most of the game’s remainder, but the Yellow Jackets were not done as the fourth quarter began to wind to a close.

“I think some of the late game situations we’re doing in practice are preparing us for times like that,” Central boys coach Will Lewis said.

The Yellow Jackets fought their way back in it, and with 2:15 left in regulation, Bentley Green hit two free throws to tie it up at 57 each. BJ Jones followed that up with a 3 to regain the lead.

Cairo tied it up again with a Carter 3 with less than a minute remaining, but Central was able to get a go-ahead bucket as it held on for the close win. 

The girls game ended with some theatrics as well. After Central entered the third quarter up 28-17, Cairo began to claw its way back into the thick of things, when Aniyah Peters and Kevona Jones each got shots in for a 31-21 score. They continued to whittle the deficit down, with Cairo’s De’Mytra Robinson and Iesha Wilcox scoring for a 38-33 game with 1:25 left in the quarter. After two made free throws from Peters, Central’s lead was just two points as the final frame began.

“We had to learn to settle, be patient on offense and talk on defense,” Thomas County Central girls coach Deatrice Hose said. “We had to play our game.” 

Eventually, they did.

Jones tied the game at 39 with six minutes left, but Cairo was never able to take the lead. Central’s Jennifer Coleman took the slim lead back with a score, and Ilyria Johns continued to build on it with a bucket of her own. The game continued to be close up until the final seconds — with three points being the difference in a 52-49 Central lead with 30 seconds left. 

Cairo needed a 3 for a tie, but never had a chance to make it down the floor when the ball rolled out of bounds for a turnover. Kalauni Stewart sealed the win for Central as the seconds wound down by nailing another shot from behind the charity stripe.

“I’m proud of all of them,” Hose said. “We kept it together under pressure when it got close in the end.”