The Putnam County girls’ basketball team began its 2023-24 campaign on Nov. 18 at Eastside High School, where the Lady War Eagles faced Class 7A Newton in the Elite Nation Showcase.
Putnam fought hard but the Lady Rams were too much, dominating the second half of the game and coming out on top, 59-40.
Newton started pulling away midway through the third quarter and didn’t give up. The Lady Rams’ defense also shined, holding Putnam to a season-low in points so far while also getting 10 steals.
“It was a battle for three quarters,” Putnam head coach Derrick Arrington said. “They had a run after halftime that (put it away). But other than that, the girls played tough. They hustled and hung in there with a really good 7A school. I am very proud of them for doing that.”
The Lady War Eagles out-rebounded Newton, though. They crashed the glass all game, grabbing 36 rebounds to the Lady Rams’ 34. Still, Newton controlled the tempo and cruised to a win.
Putnam freshman Eriyanna Little, a 5-foot-9 power forward, grabbed a team-high seven boards.
Newton had a pair of seniors – Sanaa Tripp (13 points) and Imari Humphrey (11 points) score double digits. The talented duo combined to shoot 47.3 percent (9-of-19) from the field.
The Lady War Eagles, who are a young team, struggled from the field, shooting right at 40 percent. One positive, however, is that freshman guard Journey Waller led in scoring with 12 points, while senior Kamyra Aikens followed with 11 points but also grabbed five rebounds and a steal.
“The right word is ‘compete.’ That’s what we did,” Arrington added. “(Eriyanna and Journey), competed and hustled. They’re not afraid and are good players. Good girls. They come to work.”
Last Friday, Putnam County rebounded with a dominant 92-17 win over rival Hancock Central. The contest was never in doubt as the Lady Bulldogs from Hancock County struggled.
Waller led the Lady Eagles in scoring again, totaling a season-high 21 points on 82 percent shooting from the field.
The freshman guard also shot 67 percent (2-of-3) from the 3-point line.
Aikens and sophomore A’Ziyah Williams each added 14 points, giving Putnam three girls in double-digits. Little, senior Halana Griffin and sophomore Jaikarccie Smith contributed nine each.
“Our girls did a good of focusing and preparing for the game,” Arrington said. “The couple hours leading up to the game we were laser-focused and (ready). We played like a good team.”
As a team, Putnam shot 63 percent from the field but struggled from beyond the arc at 25 percent. The Lady War Eagles also grabbed a season-high 42 rebounds and dished out 24 assists.
According to Arrington, his girls are still learning the process, but he knows they will improve with time. He wants his players to play their best basketball in January rather than peaking this month.
“We want to be fast, want to hustle and to compete. Those are the three things we talk about every day,” Arrington said. “We’ve got a moniker of bringing a little more dog out every day. The ladies have taken a really taken to that. Just hustling, competing, and focusing on the details every day. They’re doing a good job. They are good girls. Can’t wait to see them grow.”
Next up is rival Jasper County, which was swept by Putnam County (1-1) last year. The Lady War Eagles and Lady Hurricanes will tip off Friday at home in Eatonton at the Eagles’ Nest gym. On Saturday they will face rival Greene County in Greensboro for a 7 p.m. tip-off.