Liberty County High School’s basketball teams continue to impress. On Friday, each squad picked up a win over Tattnall County. The boys (6-0) beat the Warriors 85-56, while the Panther girls (5-1) won 66-57.

Liberty girls

The Lady Warriors scored first and scored fast, taking a 16-6 lead with 3 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first period.  Liberty freshman Diamone Johnson, however, and returning starters Kourtney Alexander and Candace Barham kicked the Lady Panthers’ defense into high gear.

After converting several steals, Liberty went into halftime with a 33-28 advantage. Tattnall never regained the lead.

The victory came despite 20 fouls by the Lady Panthers, which gave Tattnall ample opportunity to catch up. The Lady Warriors, however, missed critical free throws in the fourth quarter.

Alexander led Liberty in scoring with 19 points. Barham and Johnson each added 14.

Liberty’s next game is Tuesday at home against powerful Beach, the only squad to beat the Lady Panthers thus far – 58-43 on Nov. 21 in Savannah. The tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Friday’s quarter-by-quarter scores

Liberty|14|19|14|19|-66

Tattnall|19|9|17|12|-57

Liberty boys

Defensively, Liberty struggled early against Tattnall. The game was tied at 13 with 1:37 left in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the Panthers, led by Rion Brown, turned up their defensive pressure, which led to several steals and baskets. Liberty held a 43-24 halftime advantage.

Liberty coach Willie Graham said defense is what carries a basketball team.

“It doesn’t just help you win games,” he said. “It helps you win championships. Once the defense did their job, the offense just fell into place.”

In the second half, Liberty’s Jordan McRae came alive after a lackluster first half. He finished the game with a team-high 20 points, which included a couple of acrobatic dunks and some nifty passes to Brown, who had a few slams of his own.

Among those watching McRae in the stands was University of Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, who received a verbal commitment from the junior over the summer.

Brown added 19 points, while Emmanuel Fuller contributed 12.

The Panthers will look for their second win this season against Beach on Tuesday at home. They beat the Bulldogs 54-45 last month in Savannah. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Friday’s quarter-by-quarter scores

Liberty|22|21|20|22|-85

Tattnall|15|9|16|16|-56