The Long County Blue Tide basketball teams are in the meat of their region schedule now as they look to contend for a spot in the state playoffs. Both teams took a hit on Tuesday, January 14 as they hosted their first game of 2025 and fell to the Windsor Forest Knights.
Both games were back and forth contests with each game coming down the fourth quarter. In the first quarter of the girls’ game, it was senior guard Makinzie Moody who took over for the Lady Tide. Moody finished with a career-high 33 points as the Tide fell 56-50.
Moody scored 10 of the Tide’s 13 points in the first quarter and recorded three steals as they led 13-10 going into the second quarter.
Moody found her stride again in the second quarter and was the lone Tide player to score in the period. She hit a 3-pointer to tie the game and was fouled on another 3 as she hit two free throws to make the score 20-18 late in the quarter.
The Knights then went on a tear down the stretch. They hit three of five 3-point shots in the latter half of the second quarter to go up 27-20.
They held a 31-23 lead with just seconds left on the clock before Moody hit a 3 from half court at the buzzer to make the score 31-26 at the half.
Moody had 23 points and six steals in the first half.
The Lady Tide went on an 8-3 run to make the score 50-46 with 2:05 left in the game. However, the Knights hit another big 3. The Tide missed 14 free throws on the night to also prevent them from getting back into position to win.
The Tide fell to 2-10 and 1-4 in region play. Moody also had 10 steals while adding four assists in the second half.
The boys took the floor next against the region-leading Knights. The Tide have had an up-and-down season so far, losing several games by single digits that could have gone either way, including the 83-74 loss to the Knights.
The GHSA has cracked down on flopping in high school basketball this season and that became relevant in the second quarter.
The Knights were hit with their second flop call of the game, resulting in a technical foul against them. Jy’son Mallard hit both free throws and made the score 26-24 in favor of the Knights.
Chris Hatfield scored on a layup to tie game late in the quarter, but it was the Knights who led 34-31 at the half.
The boys worked their way back into the game as they went on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 41-41. However, the Knights closed out the quarter on an 11-5 run to take a 52-47 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Tide opened the quarter on a 6-2 run to make it a one-point game just 45 seconds into the quarter. Less than a minute later, Mallard hit another 3, his third of the game, to stay in striking distance.
The Knights kept their pace going midway through the fourth as they led 61-59, but a three-point play gave them a five-point lead with 5:10 left.
With the loss, the Tide fall to 7-10 and 3-3 in region play. Mallard paced the Tide with 19 points. Zyi Holt added 17 points while Hatfield had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams will be on the road Friday, January 17 in another region battle against Southeast Bulloch.