TCHS Basketball Wraps Up Regular Season
The Toombs County High School Bulldogs basketball teams concluded their regular season schedule last week with a challenging stretch of games. The Bulldogs faced off against their arch-rivals, the Vidalia Indians, on Tuesday before splitting a pair of contests with the Savannah Christian Raiders on Friday.
Girls vs. Vidalia
In the girls' matchup against Vidalia, the Lady Bulldogs started competitively in the first quarter. Arianna Hill opened the scoring for Toombs, and subsequent baskets by Emerson Powell and Taylor Bland kept the game tight. Despite the early offensive effort, Toombs found themselves trailing 16-12 at the end of the first period.
The offense slowed in the second quarter, though Bland and Powell added points from the free-throw line and field respectively, sending the team into halftime down 24-17. The second half proved difficult for the Lady Bulldogs as Vidalia began to pull away. Toombs managed only five points in the third quarter, including free throws from Hill, ending the period with a 32-22 deficit.
The fourth quarter saw Vidalia extend their lead significantly. Despite a valiant effort from Hill, who added several baskets down the stretch, and late contributions from Makenna Gardisser, the Lady Bulldogs fell to their rivals with a final score of 61-34.
Boys vs. Vidalia
The boys’ rivalry game followed a different script early on, with the Bulldogs controlling the pace in the first half. Cornelius Bullard Jr. and Qwan Monroe set the tone in the first quarter with three-pointers, while Parker Stanley added points in the paint to give Toombs a 10-4 lead after one.
The Bulldogs maintained their momentum in the second quarter, with Monroe hitting another three and Stanley continuing to score inside. The defensive effort held Vidalia in check, allowing Toombs to take a 24-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. However, the momentum shifted in the third quarter. While Jayden Jackson contributed from the field and the free-throw line, and Bullard Jr. added another three, Vidalia chipped away at the lead. By the end of the third, Toombs had surrendered their advantage, trailing narrowly 33- 32. The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle. Stanley and Monroe worked to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance, bringing the score to 42-38 late in the game, but Toombs could not regain the lead, eventually falling 46-39.
Girls vs. Savannah
On Friday, the teams returned to action against Savannah Christian. The Lady Bulldogs bounced back impressively from their midweek loss, dominating the Lady Raiders to secure a decisive 59-39 victory. The win provided a strong finish to their regular season campaign as they head into tournament play.
Boys vs. Savannah
The boys’ team struggled to find their rhythm against Savannah Christian. The Raiders jumped out to an early 11-5 lead in the first quarter and continued to apply pressure, building a commanding 31-10 advantage by halftime. Toombs attempted to rally in the second half but faced a steep 47-22 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were unable to close the gap, dropping the contest 65-46 to close out the regular season.
The girls finished the regular season with a record of 7-17, and they were 3-9 in the Region. The boys were 15-10 overall and they were 3-7 in the Region. This week TCHS will take part in the Region Tournament, hosted by Vidalia. The TCHS girls played in the play-in game on Monday of this week after presstime against Savanah Christian. They need to win that to move into the Region Tournament. The boys also played against Savanah Christian on Tuesday night after presstime in the opener of the Region Tournament. If they win their games, they will move on to play later this week.
