The Putnam County girls' basketball team was victorious on Dec. 21, defeating rival Jasper County on the road.
The No. 7 ranked Lady War Eagles beat the Lady Hurricanes 54-43, improving to 9-3 overall.
Putnam head coach Derrick Arrington was happy to see his team fight and win against a formidable rival.
“It’s always good to beat Jasper County,” Arrington told The Eatonton Messenger. “They always have a lot of pride.”
Putnam started hot and built a double-digit lead by the end of the first half. The Lady War Eagles defended well, pressing and forcing several turnovers off steals, which led to adding points on the other end.
Putnam’s girls had 18 steals in the win, with sophomore guard Journey Waller totaling six in the nine-point win.
Arrington liked what he saw in the first half but knew his team had to play all 32 minutes to win.
Putnam kept pressing and led by double digits in the third quarter, but Jasper responded and fought back. The Lady Canes made it a ball game by the start of the fourth quarter, but the Lady War Eagles prevailed.
Arrington said his team has “finished the drill” better this season. His girls displayed grit against Jasper County.
“Their coach does a phenomenal job. We got up big in the second half. They showed a lot of pride and battled back,” Arrington said. “I’m proud of our girls for showing the poise and maturity to hold on and get a win.”
Two of Putnam’s players reached double digits, with Waller scoring 18 points and junior Melody Richardson adding 11 points. Sophomore Eriyanna Little contributed by adding eight points and seven rebounds to the win.
Arrington said he’s learned a lot about his young team through the first two months of the regular season but said his players' most important characteristic is their “never-give-up attitude.” He thinks they’ve battled adversity well.
“Situations get difficult, and when everything is not going perfectly, we’ve stayed the course and connected,” Arrington said. “We’re fighting our way through those adverse situations. I’m very proud of them.”
Putnam’s girls entered the two-week Christmas break on a three-game winning streak and after winning eight of their last 10 games.
Next, the Lady War Eagles will face Jones County on Jan. 4 and then continue region play on Jan. 7 against Towers.