The Long County High School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams continued their skids Tuesday, as both squads lost to Bryan County in Ludowici in Region 2B-AA action.
Both Long County teams were handed their fifth-straight losses.
In the girls’ game, the Lady Tide fell behind 26-12 at the half and couldn’t make up any ground, eventually losing, 56-38. In spite of the loss, Elexxus Wrighton and Malaka Elix had solid games for Long County. Wrighton had 18 points and 20 rebounds, while Elix had seven points.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well. Bryan made a lot of jump shots in the first half, which they didn’t make in the second half. It put us behind early and we had to fight back all night,” Lady Tide head coach Brian Todd said.
“Our team fought from buzzer to buzzer … I just feel we let the game slip away from us. Bryan came out red-hot shooting the basketball, and our shots in the paint just wouldn’t go in,” he added.
In addition to praising the individual effort of Wrighton and Elix, Todd also praised Tyronica Johnson’s defensive play off the bench.  
With the loss, the Lady Tide fell to 4-14 overall and 2-4 in the region, while Bryan County improved to 8-9 and 3-5, respectively.
In the boys’ game, the Blue Tide came out strong, taking a 40-37 lead at halftime. But in the second half, the Redskins began to find their groove as they went on to pull out the 81-70 win. James Francis led Long County with 31 points, Vanda Vereen Jr. scored 13 points, and Brendon Scott added 11 points.  
The Blue Tide fell to 4-12 overall and 2-4 in the region, while the Redskins improved to 6-10 and 1-3.
Tonight, Long County is back at home to face Vidalia. The Indians come into the game 17-0 and ranked No. 1 in the AA standings by MaxPreps.com. Meanwhile, the Lady Indians are 12-5 mark and ranked No. 14.
Tonight also is Long County’s homecoming, with the king scheduled to be crowned. The girls’ game begins at 6 p.m., with the boys’ game following.