THOMASVILLE- The Thomas County Central Lady Jackets kicked off the annual Holiday Hoopfest Basketball Tournament against the Lincoln Lady Trojans on Thursday morning.

The Lady Jackets came into the game looking for a win after losing to Lincoln in an earlier tournament this year. Unfortunately, the team came up short, 44-48, but they have shown significant improvement since their last face-off with the Lady Trojans.

The Lady Jackets let Lincoln go on a run in the first quarter, scoring 12 points. Down by 11 at one point early in the quarter, the Lady Jackets built some momentum after Nia Hayes drained a three. With the help of Jaden Crews and Ariyah Hall, the Lady Jackets would only find themselves down by five points heading into the second quarter.

Both teams went point-for-point in the second quarter, with the Lady Jackets down by 5 points at halftime.

Crews and Jaida Rice each added four points to the board in the second quarter, while Hall put up three to make the score 18-23.

Coming out of halftime, the Lady Jackets poured on the heat, scoring 15 points, while holding the Lady Trojans to 14 points.

Nine of those points came from free throws, something Coach Stacy Masten has been harping on.

Hall made all four free throws, while Adelle Ganga made two.

Rice went two for six from the free throw line, leaving four points on the board.

Masten acknowledged this is an area the team is working on, but believes the youth and inexperience of the team can often cause nerves in tight situations.

“With them being so young, it’s just getting the timing right,” he said. “They are getting better, but they still have those moments where they have little letdowns.”

It all came down to the fourth quarter when Chan Dunbar drained a three to tie up the game.

However, missed free throws and shooting opportunities would cost the Lady Jackets the game.

“We missed a lot of shots that we should’ve made, but that’s just part of the game,” he said. “We just have to continue the work, but they’re working hard every day.”

Still, Masten was proud of his team and the growth they have shown since their last tournament with Lincoln.

“We are a little bit more seasoned than we were then,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m really pleased with the progress they’ve made.”

The Lady Jackets will continue to compete in the consolation bracket, where Masten wants to see them show a different mindset.

“I want us to come in with a new mindset and get ourselves off to a better start,” he said. “That’s the key to it.”

TCC will play again on Friday, December 27, at 10 a.m. at the THS Gymnasium.

Masten said he hopes this tournament is preparing the team for region play, which begins next week.

“We are getting ready to start our region play and hopefully we’ve matured enough to where they can have their mindset right to play every night,” he said. “That’s what this part of the season is for.”

The Lady Jackets will play Northside for the first game of the region at home on January 3 at 6 p.m.