Putnam County girls’ basketball is off to one of the best starts in recent memory. The Lady War Eagles are 10-2 overall and riding a four-game winning streak heading into the final week of the year.
Butler snapped Putnam County’s five-game winning streak on Dec. 15 with a decisive 57-40 win. However, the Lady War Eagles have responded positively by grinding out four victories in a row.
“The loss to Butler was a good game, but we rebounded well,” Putnam County head coach Derrick Arrington said. “But we got back in the film room and made some adjustments. It was big for us.”
The winning streak started as Putnam County (10-2, 1-1 Region 4-AA) dominated Jasper County 69-29 the following day. Senior Kamyra Aikens and freshman Journey Waller each scored 21 points.
That momentum carried into last week at the John Milledge Academy Christmas tournament in Milledgeville, where Putnam picked up two more victories over Trinity Christian and Brentwood Academy.
Putnam County easily defeated Trinity Christian 74-41 last Tuesday. The Lady War Eagles got valiant efforts from Aikens (28 points), Waller (16 points), and freshman Eriyanna Little (10 points).
As a team, Putnam County shot 57 percent from the field, which is strong. The Lady War Eagles overpowered the Lady Crusaders, both in scoring and on the glass, grabbing 37 total rebounds as a team.
Last Wednesday, Putnam County squeaked out a 62-58 win over Brentwood, powered by Aikens, who scored a career-high 31 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
Brentwood led 49-41 after three quarters, but a 21-point fourth quarter from Putnam County helped solidify the victory. The Lady War Eagles also held their opponent to nine points in the fourth.
Waller followed with 18 points. Her effort combined with Aikens proved to be dangerous in the second half. They scored more than 50 percent of their team’s points against Brentwood last Wednesday.
“At one point in the second quarter, Brentwood actually led by 18 points, but we battled back,” Arrington added. “That was a great win for us, especially because Brentwood is a really good team.”
Finally, Putnam County completed the season sweep of Hancock Central last Friday with a 66-20 win. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Lady War Eagles came out on top 92-17 on Nov. 24.
Last Friday, Putnam County held the Lady Bulldogs (0-9) to score less than 10 points in each period. It was another easy victory for the Lady War Eagles, who are rolling right now.
Aikens and Waller contributed a lot in the 46-point victory over rival Hancock Central. However, the Lady War Eagles had a few others step up in the final two quarters to play valuable minutes as well.
Arrington’s squad got solid play from sophomores Kadyn Dennis and Jaikarccie Smith. Each doesn’t light up the scoreboard but has been making plays for the Lady War Eagles in tight moments.
“I am very appreciative of those two,” Arrington said of Dennis and Smith. “They are there each game and might not show up in the stat sheet, but on film, they made the gritty plays we need to win.”
Next up, Putnam County is set to travel to Social Circle on Dec. 30 for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. Next week, the Lady War Eagles resume region play in the new year with Westside-Augusta at home on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. They’ll also host Washington County on Jan. 5 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.