Cire Foston gets ready to launch a free throw versus Greene County Tuesday night. She finished with three points in the Lady Dogs' 41-38 win over the Lady Tigers.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The GMC Lady Bulldogs went into Tuesday’s game with Greene County shorthanded. Anna Layne Lawson suffered a season-ending wrist injury Saturday against Aquinas and minor injuries and sickness left coach Shawn Dennis with just six girls to play the game. But his healthy players stepped up to the challenge and pulled off a 41-38 victory.

“We were playing shorthanded and had a lot of girls step up,” Dennis said. “Kendall Calhoun, she was huge for us in the first half.”

Calhoun came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half, including two 3-point shots.

Near the close of the first quarter, she banked her first 3 from the left of the basket to give the Bulldogs a 9-2 edge. Calhoun sank a 3 and two long two-point field goals in the second quarter, helping GMC to a 19-13 halftime lead.

Sara Bloodworth gave the Lady Bulldogs their first two baskets of the second half. Kennedy-Paige Davis and Cire Foston also scored, and Kate McGhee hit a basket and two free throws to make the score 32-21 with 3:18 left in the quarter. As GMC began to feel the fatigue of minimal backup from the bench, Greene County manufactured a seven-point run to bring the game to a four-point margin. McGhee ended the quarter on a high note, though, hitting a buzzer-beating 3 from downtown and sending the game into its final quarter with a 35-28 lead.

GMC battled through the fourth for a narrow victory, scoring just six points in the quarter. With the Tigers fighting to within two points and no Bulldog scoring yet four minutes into quarter, Davis missed two free throws, but McGhee collected the rebound for a basket and 37-33 lead. The Bulldog defense came through and held on to a 39-38 lead with 30 seconds remaining. The Tigers fouled Davis twice in the final seconds and she hit one shot each time for a 41-38 victory.

McGhee had 11 points on the game and Calhoun had 10. Davis had seven and Cade Bass and Bloodworth both had five. Cire Foston had three points. In addition to Calhoun’s two 3-pointers, Davis, Bloodworth and McGhee also all hit shots from beyond the arc.

“All the girls that played scored,” Dennis said. “It was a team effort.”

Dennis said his team still needs to work on doing better at “boxing out and rebounding,” pointing out that Greene County’s Tra’Cera Donn had 19 points.

“She killed us on the boards, and we’ve got to clean that up,” Dennis said. “Other than that it was a great team win, and we’re looking forward to heading up to Washington-Wilkes to try to get another one.”

The Lady Bulldogs, who now carry a 9-5 (8-2 region) record, will travel to Washington-Wilkes to take on the 7-8, 3-5 Lady Tigers, whom they defeated 40-28 at home in December. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. Friday. GMC will be back at home on Saturday to take on Lincoln County (3-9, 3-6) at 4 p.m.