LUDOWICI -- The Long County Blue Tide basketball teams wrapped up their home season with dominant wins over the Appling County Pirates. In blowing out their region rivals, both teams locked up spots in the state playoffs while celebrating their seniors.
It was a low-scoring affair in the first quarter of the Lady Tide’s game against the Pirates as the team led 10-7 going into the second. The lack of scoring had a lot to do with the team’s going a combined 0-8 from three-point range.
The Lady Tide did go on a 6-1 run to end the quarter and turned that run into a 12-2 with another 6-1 run to open the second as they went up 16-8.
The Pirates were helped a little in the second quarter with them only committing their first foul five minutes into the period, while the Tide recorded the first six. This was after the Lady Tide got into the double bonus in the first quarter.
After trailing 16-8, the Pirates worked their way back into the game with a 6-2 run to make the score 18-14. However, the Tide went on another run, their biggest thus far, by outscoring their region rivals 12-3 to close out the half up 30-17.
Junior Jada Young continued to dominate as she led her team with 11 points at the half and was 9-14 from the free throw line. Amiyah Simpkins added eight points in the half.
The Tide just barely pulled out a 59-56 win in overtime against the Pirates in their first meeting, but this game was much different. They opened the second half with a 13-0 run to go up 43-17 with 3:10 left on the clock.
They never looked back.
The Pirates did not score until the three-minute mark of the third and only scored eight points in the quarter. The Lady Tide led 51-25 going into the final period, where they closed out the 67-33 win.
This is the Lady Tide’s second straight 30-point win after beating non-region foe McIntosh County Academy 66-33 Saturday. In the game, Young had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Simpkins also scored 15 points.
With the win, the Lady Tide secure at least the three seed in the region tournament and with a win over Tattnall County on Friday, would force a three-way tie for first place among them, the Warriors, and the Pierce County Bears.
14 senior basketball players and cheerleaders were honored between the games as well as boys’ head coach Reggie Wilkes. He was presented a plaque from the 1995 Blue Tide basketball team for his “dedication to the LCHS basketball program and community.”
Wilkes helped get the region championship trophies won by those teams in the 90s moved to the new high school building after pleas from members of the team.
After the dominant win by the girls, it was the boys turn and they were hot from the tip.
In the first quarter, they jumped out to an 8-3 lead and were 3-4 from three-point range. They led 21-11 and Trinity Gray led his team with seven points.
The Pirates were able to work their way back into the game as they opened on a 7-0 run to make the score 21-18 at the six-minute mark. They were helped with back-to-back technical fouls against the Tide.
The Tide finally got on the board at the 5:30 mark as Roderick Randall was 1-3 from the free throw line after being fouled on a three-point attempt.
Long County was able to hold the Pirates to just four points over the last four minutes while scoring 16 and leading 37-22 at the half. Randall had five points in the second quarter and the Tide were 5-11 from three-point range.
The Tide continued to roll in the third quarter as they outscored the Pirates 16-12 to go up 53-34 going into the fourth. Scoring was split with five different Tide players getting on the books.
Senior Jacob Cooper took over in the second half after scoring six points in the first. He made some great offensive plays, spinning towards the goal and getting the bucket.
In the fourth, Cooper, usually force down in the paint, hit a big three point shot that got the crowd on their feet. The Tide also got help from seniors Cam Johnson and Dwayne Rowe.
Johnson, who had been teasing Tide fans for weeks with another one of his rim-rocking dunks, finally threw down a one-handed jam off a steal.
Rowe proved his dunk worth as he caught a ball off a Prence Doomes layup attempt and threw down a jam. That dunk did not count as Doomes was fouled before Rowe’s shot.
However, Rowe got his chance to shine again after Doomes tossed up an alley-oop and Rowe caught it to cap off the senior’s night to give his team the 68-42 lead.
The Tide went on to the 77-49 win over the Pirates, their seventh straight win, to move to 13-9 and 4-3 in the region.
Cooper led with 15 points while Ka’leel Anderson, Christian Glenn, and Gray all scored nine points.
The Tide will look to finish off the regular season with their eighth straight win as they take on the Tattnall County Warriors on Friday, Feb. 11.
They will either be the number two or three seed in the region tournament and will play the Brantley County Herons in the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 17.