The Long County Blue Tide basketball teams were back in action Friday, December 2 as they hosted their first region game of the year against the Groves Rebels. The girls dominated from the opening tip, winning 86-22, as the boys saw their second half rally fall short in the final seconds, losing 63-61.
The Lady Tide built a 13-0 lead early against the Lady Rebels as senior Adryanna Harley scored 10 of the team’s first 13 points. The Rebels got on the board with a layup at the 3:45 mark of the first before the Tide closed on a 8-0 run to take a 21-2 lead into the second quarter.
It was never really closer than a 15-point game from there as the Lady Tide kept rolling and closed the half on a 10-2 run to go up 3915 at the break.
Harley had 13 points at the half and she was joined by Imani Pouncey and Jada Young in the double- digit category in the third quarter as the Tide were up 69-20.
Sophomore Arryah Vaughn is a prominent junior varsity starter for the Lady Tide, but came in off the bench in the fourth and had an impressive showing. She recorded four steals and hit a big 3-point shot to bring her point total to nine.
The Lady Tide moved to 2-2 and 1-0 in the region. Harley and Pouncey both had 14 points while Young led with 19 points and 12 rebounds, her third double-double of the year.
Groves came out hot against the boys as they went on a 10-0 run after going down 3-0 early in the game. The Rebels used a heavy press against the Tide as they built an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A 10-0 run gave the Rebels a 17-point lead, their biggest of the game, in the second quarter.
The Tide closed the half out on a 7-0 run.
They went on a 12-2 run in the third quarter to tie the game 38-38 with 3:00 left, holding the Rebels to just four points to open the second half.
The Rebels found their stride again and scored the next seven points to go up 45-38, but the Tide closed on a 7-1 run to make the score 46-42 going into the fourth.
It was back and forth from there as time ticked away. Down 59-51, Tide senior Jamel Brimlett hit a big 3-point shot and was fouled as he completed the four-point play to make the score 59-55 with three minutes left.
After a free throw, Chuck Anderson hit another big three to tie the game at 59 with 1:34 left. Zion Ervin hit a layup with 45 seconds left to give the Tide their first lead since being up 3-0.
The Rebels tied the game with 28.7 seconds left and got a rebound after Roderick Randall’s three banged off the rim. They score after two offensive rebounds down low as they went up 63-61 with 6 seconds left.
The Tide drew up a full court play that saw Brimlett get to the rim and his shot was blocked with contact as the clock hit triple zeroes and the Tide fell.