The Long County High School girls basketball team begins its season Saturday in the annual Blue and White Game, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2009-10 season.

Last year the Lady Tide didn’t make the state playoffs, thanks to a 3-21 overall record and a 3-13 region mark. During this time, the team struggled on both offense and defense.

On offense, the ladies only put up 32 points a game, which was last in the region, while their defense wasn’t much better, giving up 56 points a night, second from the worst in the region.

The Lady Tide are in the tough Region 2-AA, which has always been one of the better regions in the state and includes defending champ Appling County, region runner-up McIntosh County and always-tough Brantley County.

What’s more, the improvement of St. Vincent’s Academy and Jeff Davis means that there are no easy games on the schedule.

But this year the region got even tougher with Vidalia High School joining 2-AA. Last year the Indians put together a 31-1 season only to lose in the state championship game to Buford High School. Toombs County will also be in the 2-AA this year, but like Long County, will be one of the weaker teams. Last year the Bulldogs went 3-21 overall and 0-11 in their region.

Seniors coming back this year for the Lady Tide include Miranda McDowell, Shamika Richardson and Jamika Boyd, while some of the other members of this year’s squad are Christa Prescott, Laura Clary, Allissa Burton, Brittany Hall and Raven Rose.

The Tide girls kick off their first game Tuesday, Nov. 16 when they travel to Flemington to take on the Liberty County High School Lady Panthers.