The Long County Blue Tide boys’ basketball team fell in the region championship game against Calvary Day in a back-and-forth contest that saw the Cavaliers pull away late in the fourth quarter for 55-44 win Saturday
Long County’s girls took the court to open the day as they took on the Groves Lady Rebels in the third-place game and held on for a 52-47 win.
Zae Buckner hit a big 3-point shot while being fouled, and that started an 8-0 run that gave the Tide a 13-8 lead. They never trailed in the game from there.
The Tide opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 20-10, but the Rebels worked their way back into the game as they went on an 8-3 run to trail the Tide 25-18 at the half.
From there, the game was pretty much decided as the third quarter was evenly matched with the Tide scoring 19 and the Rebels scoring 18.
With a 44-36 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Tide were helped out as a shooting foul followed by a technical foul gave them four shots from the line. The Tide sunk all four and they quickly built their biggest lead of the game as they were up 48-36.
Another bucket increased their lead to 14 points, but the Rebels outscored the Tide 11-2 down the stretch.
Buckner had 14 points and seven steals while Khloe Morris added 14 points and 10 rebounds, her 10th double-double of the season.
The Lady Tide have clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the first time since 2023 and will look for their first state playoff victory when their run in the tournament begins February 24.
In the boys region championship game, the Cavaliers drew first blood, however, as they went on an 8-0 run after the Tide took an early 3-2 lead after Ja’mere Martin hit a 3 on the first shot of the night for the Tide.
However, the Tide outscored the Cavaliers 10-4 to close the first quarter and trailed by just one going into the second.
That run stretched to 14-6 as the Tide took the lead early in the second quarter. Zyi Holt connected on a layup while being fouled, but couldn’t connect on the free throw to tie the game with 1:30 left in the half.
That changed just seconds later as the Cavaliers’ coach was issued a technical foul and the Tide hit both free throws to take a 25-24 lead. Another shot right before the buzzer gave them a 27-24 lead at the half.
The Cavaliers used some tough defense in the third quarter to begin wearing the Tide down and the Tide’s 3-point struggles continued.
After Martin’s make to open the game, they missed their next 15 shots. They trailed 41-36 going into the fourth quarter.
Jy’son Mallard and Martin both hit 3s to open the third and get within two points of the Cavaliers’ lead, but the visiting team used their strong defense, led by region Defensive Player of the Year Chol Kiir Chol Deng, and clock management to weed out the Tide’s chances of a comeback.
The Cavaliers scored the game’s last six points to keep the Tide at bay.
The Tide fell in their bid for their first region tournament title since 2022, but have locked up a home game in the first round of the state playoffs.
Depending on power rankings, projected to be released Sunday, February 22, the Tide could end up as a top eight seed and guarantee two home games in the first two rounds of the state playoffs.
State playoffs for the boys begin February 25.