Putnam County’s girls’ basketball team split games with No. 7 Butler and Westside-Augusta last week.
The Lady War Eagles (16-5, 6-4 Region 4-AA) fell to Butler 52-44 on Jan. 23 before routing Westside 74-14 two days later. Putnam sat fourth in Region 4-AA standings entering this week.
Putnam competed hard against the ranked Lady Bulldogs, who pulled away late in the fourth quarter.
Butler held a 31-30 lead at the half and led by two points entering the final period. However, the Lady Bulldogs started to find their rhythm as junior Brayla Harris led the charge in the fourth quarter.
Harris and senior Karen Nimo hit quality shots when it mattered to push Butler to come out on top. The Lady Bulldogs’ defensive effort also held the Lady War Eagles to just six points in the fourth.
Putnam did battle, though. The Lady War Eagles had a better field goal percentage, they forced 23 turnovers and outrebounded their opponent. It just wasn’t enough for a win at the end of the game.
Putnam County freshman Journey Waller scored a team-high 13 points, with three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Sophomore Jaikarccie Smith added 10 points and eight rebounds with a block and a steal.
Senior Kamyra Aikens also was productive, contributing eight points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while freshman Eryianna Little grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for Putnam.
The Lady War Eagles flipped the script three days later against Westside with a win in dominant fashion. They completed the sweep of the Lady Patriots, winning by 50 points Friday night in Augusta.
Putnam held a commanding 45-4 lead at halftime but slowed its pace of play in the final half. The Lady War Eagles took the opportunity to give their backups some valuable minutes at the end.
The game was never in doubt as Putnam’s stout defensive effort caused many turnovers by the Lady Patriots. The Lady War Eagles also dominated on the boards, scoring many second-chance points.
Aikens scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out four assists. But it was the play of sophomore Melody Richardson who impressed with 11 points and contributed to the big win.
New addition Kenwanna “Kiwi” Lane, a mid-season transfer back to Putnam from Morgan County, scored 10 points. Smith also had 10 points while senior Halana Griffin scored nine.
Putnam has three games left following Tuesday’s contest against Washington County, which was past press time. The Lady War Eagles will host No. 1 Thomson this Saturday before facing Glenn Hills in Augusta next Tuesday. They will conclude the regular season on Feb. 9 against No. 1 Josey.