Class AA’s top-ranked Thomson defeated Putnam County 87-85 last Saturday in a last-second thriller.
After trailing 71-62 entering the fourth quarter, the War Eagles battled back but fell just short. They had a chance in the closing seconds, but their last-second attempt bounced off the backboard.
Putnam County (11-6, 2-4 Region 4-AA) had lost four of its last five games entering this week of play, but head coach LaPatrick Marshall thinks this stretch has been a teaching moment for his team.
“The guys battled back after falling behind,” Marshall said. “I stressed to them that we need to start playing to what our pedigree is. We’re a good team, man, but we’ve got to start playing like it.”
Two of the War Eagles’ recent losses were to No. 1 Thomson and No. 3 Westside-Augusta, the two-time back-to-back state champions. They’ve lost to Washington County and Veterans as well.
“We lost to some good programs but can’t keep falling behind and then think we can just turn it on,” Marshall added. “We did that last night (at Thomson). We grew up a little more in a hostile environment last night. We got down big and fought back. I’m proud of my team for battling it out.”
At the half, Putnam was at a disadvantage, trailing 42-37, because of foul trouble. A good portion of the Bulldogs’ points through the opening two quarters came via the free-throw line.
Thomson’s ability to get to the charity stripe in the first quarter gave them a 17-point advantage going into the second. However, the War Eagles resurged in the final eight minutes of the first half.
The drama in the second half continued, with Landon Bonner and J’mari Greene putting Putnam on their backs. The talented duo combined for 62 of the War Eagles’ 85 points in the loss last Saturday.
Their effort kept Putnam in contention, but ultimately, the Bulldogs held on due to pure luck. The War Eagles’ last-second shot attempt preserved Thomson’s undefeated record.
Bonner, the team’s leading scorer, had a team-high 35 points, and Greene had a career-high 28.
Marshall applauded his players’ overall effort.
“We went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the state,” Marshall said. “We had a shot to win at the end, but it didn’t fall through.”
Last Friday, Putnam snapped a four-game losing streak with a 72-48 region victory over Glenn Hills. The War Eagles used this chance to give a few of their younger guys meaningful varsity minutes.
Sophomore Tamaud Woodson led in scoring with 11 points and grabbed three rebounds. Junior Jaylin Harper scored 10 points, and senior Messiah Walker added nine. Greene totaled eight points.
Marshall loved to see how the future could look, with many younger players stepping up but said he wants to see more consistency from his team. The War Eagles only have three seniors on the roster this year.
“That’s the kind of team we are. Everybody got to play,” Marshal said. “Landon Bonner only had seven (against Glenn Hills), but the next night he had 35 (points). When you’ve got a young team, it’s hard to be consistent. We’ve got to keep grinding. Once we find some more consistency, we won’t have ups and downs. I knew coming into the season we’d go through this.”
This week, Putnam will be on the road at Josey (1/16) and at Laney (1/19) in Augusta. The War Eagles will then host Butler (1/23) before traveling back to Augusta to face Westside (1/26).