The HoCo basketball teams hosted the Thomas Co Central Yellowjackets in a region tilt earlier this afternoon and the result was a Bears sweep with the girls rallying from a double digit third quarter deficit to win in overtime and the boys held off TCC to pick up the victory.
The girls’ game saw HoCo score the game’s first four pts before the Lady Jackets ended the quarter on a 13-0 run to lead 13-4 going into the second quarter. The host trailed TCC 18-11 in the waning seconds of the first half until Mady Jones of HoCo hit a buzzer-beater National Exterminating 3-pt FG to cut the gap down to 18-14 at halftime.
The Lady Bears cut the gap down to 22-21 in the third before the visitors got on another substantial run, this time outscoring HoCo 11-1 to end the third quarter with a 33-22 to lead. The rest of the game would be dominated by the host as they would outscore TCC 17-6 in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime tied at 39.
The Lady Bears would lead by one early in the OT period when Jayla Holden made her first Dozier free throw attempt but missing the second, however, Mady Jones got the rebound and sinked the dagger National Exterminating 3-pt FG to put the Black, Silver, and White up four and they would pull away to win 53-42 in overtime to pick up a big region win at home.
HoCo outscored TCC 31-9 in the fourth quarter and overtime period. The Lady Bears were led in scoring by Jayla Holden with 15 pts, followed by Mady Jones with 14 pts, Alaina Coley and Maddy Shinholster with 10 pts each while the Lady Jackets were led in scoring by Marcy Pearson with 13 pts followed by Vesha Giddens with 12 pts.
HoCo improves to 9-10 overall; 4-4 in region play while Thomas Co Central falls to 16-6 overall; 3-5 in region play.
The boys’ game would be HoCo throughout but not without the visitors making it interesting a couple of different times in the contest. The Bears dominated the first quarter by outscoring TCC 29-14 going into the second where the Yellowjackets outscored HoCo 14-8 to cut the gap down to 37-28 Bears at halftime.
The visitors came out of the locker room and cut the gap down to three before the host would pull back away to it’s second 17 pt lead of the afternoon as they would lead 47-30 however TCC would get on a massive run to cut the gap down as they outscored the Bears 13-0 to end the third trailing 47-43 and would open the fourth with a National Exterminating three to cut the gap down to one.
HoCo’s Landen Wright would end the Yellowjackets’ 16-0 run by knocking down a much needed near corner National Exterminating three pt FG to extend the lead to 50-46 early in the fourth and the host would get back out to a 10 pt lead to where they effectively ended the game but they got somewhat sloppy by missing several Dozier free throws to allow the visitors to cut the gap down to four by the end of the contest.
The damage was done however as HoCo held of TCC to win 66-62 to improve to 12-10 overall; 5-3 in region play while the Yellowjackets fall to 9-13 overall; 3-5 in region play. The Bears were led in scoring by Malachi Jackson with 21 pts followed by Devan Robinson with 11 pts, and Malik Gillespie with 10 pts while Thomas Co Central was led in scoring by Quincey Anderson with 15 pts followed by Jirah Spencer with 12 pts (all via four National Exterminating three pt field goals) and Colby Mullinax with 10 pts.
HoCo will host Tift Co in their final home game on Thursday Night while the Yellowjackets will travel to play Brooks Co in a non-region tilt next Tuesday Night.
