Last week, Putnam County girls basketball (11-6, 2-0) had a rough time, losing two straight games against ranked teams.
The Lady War Eagles dropped games to No. 7 Southwest Atlanta Christian (SAC) and No. 6 Greenforest, both ranked in Class 3A-1A Private.
“They were two really good games [against] two really well-coached teams,” Putnam County girls head coach Derrick Arrington said.
Putnam’s girls visited the state’s capital last Tuesday to face SAC and its talented tandem of Nicora Patrick (22 points) and Aimee Campbell (19 points), who led the Lady Warriors to a 55-43 victory over the Lady War Eagles.
Southwest Atlanta Christian didn’t waste time on each end of the court through the first two quarters, racing to a 34-19 lead at the half. However, a strong third quarter from Putnam County made it a close game.
The Lady Warriors clung to a 44-39 lead entering the fourth quarter after the Lady War Eagles outscored them 20-5 in the third, but a 16-4 effort by SAC in the fourth period secured the 12-point win for them.
“They came out and might’ve made their first 10 shots,” Arrington said of the early game. “I’m talking about three, twos, free throws. Anything they put up went in. It was one of those weather-the-storm type moments that lasted the whole first half.”
The Putnam girls returned home on Friday to face reigning Class A Division II state champs Greenforest, who defeated the Lady War Eagles in a 49-48 decision that came down to the last second of regulation.
In a wild finish, Putnam County got a steal while trailing 49-46 with under 10 seconds left. A Lady War Eagles’ shooting guard got the turnover, dribbled the ball swiftly downcourt, and made a layup as the clock hit zero.
Unfortunately, Putnam’s girls still lost, as they needed a 3-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime.
“It was one of the best games you could watch in terms of [of it] being back and forth. We got up, they went up, we went up, they came back and went up, then we came back,” Arrington said. “Almost really like a style clash. They’ve got a way they play, and they’re really good at it. We’ve got a way we play, and we’re really good at it. It ended up being a one-point game. They had the length advantage and the fundamental advantage. We had the speed, scrappiness, and tenacity. It was a really, really good basketball game.”
Greenforest only had six players but also a clear size advantage. The Lady Eagles got solid play from 6-footers Marianah Achol (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Aminata NDiaye (11 points, nine rebounds) in the win.
However, Putnam County’s girls, especially sophomore Journey Waller, didn't shy away. The talented guard scored a team-high 21 points, along with six rebounds, one assist, and eight steals. Waller and junior Melody Richardson played a big part in keeping Greenforest under 20 points in the first half.
Putnam County led most of the first three quarters, including a 23-16 advantage at the half. Greenforest regained the lead late in the third quarter and carried a 34-33 edge over the Lady War Eagles going into the fourth.
“We would like to have gotten these wins now, but you know, the greater goal is coming up in a couple of weeks,” Arrington said. “So, we’re right on course on where we thought we would be and where we think we could be. We just need to keep focusing on the little things and pay attention to the details.”
This week, Putnam County returns to regional action on the road against WD Mohammed and UAA.