Valwood drops two to Brookwood

HAHIRA — After dropping both games to Terrell Academy on Monday in Dawson, Valwood returned to Eager Sports Center on Tuesday to host the Brookwood Warriors. Brookwood’s height proved too much in an 85-50 loss by the Valiants, with the Lady Valiants dropping a 51-25 contest.

At Terrell, the Lady Eagles won over Valwood, 54-15, with the Valiants edged 48-45 after a comeback effort in the fourth quarter.

Lady Valiants

Brookwood scored first, at 6:21 in the first frame, After trading scoreless possessions, Caylee Collins tied the game up 2-2 with 5:08 to go in the opening period.

The Lady Warriors scored the next four points of the game, taking a 6-2 lead halfway through the first. With 2:08 left in the period, Lacy Ann McLeod netted the next Lady Valiant basket, cutting the deficit down to 2. Brookwood pushed the lead back to 4 with 1:30 left and took a 8-4 lead into the second quarter.

Collins scored the next Lady Valiant basket off of an assist from McLeod to cut the deficit back to 2 with 7:50 to go in the half. Over the next 1:30, the Lady Warriors went ahead 16-6 after an 8-0 run. Collins put an end to the Brookwood scoring spree after scoring a basket with 5:56 left. On the next Lady Warrior possession, Collins tallied a block and steal, but was unable to cut into the Brookwood lead.

Carolyn Griner got an offensive rebound Lady Valiant and scored the next Valwood points, cutting the deficit to 10.

Down 12 with two minutes left in the half, Emma Burnett found Collins near the basket, allowing Collins to score her seventh and eighth points of the game. To close out the second quarter, Brookwood scored the next four points, taking a 26-12 lead.

Brookwood opened the third with three points before Collins scored a two-pointer and made the free throw after being fouled. The Lady Warriors went ahead 38-15, then Burnett picked up her second assist, this time finding a wide open Bryce Carter. An Anna Harvey Shaw steal turned into a point at the free throw line and Valwood went into the fourth down 41-18.

After a Collins 2-point basket with 6:47 remaining, Valwood opted to sub out the starters.

Shaw scored the next Valwood bucket, later adding a free threw. Bailie Murphy’s first two points cut the Lady Warriors’ lead to 20 before Brookwood had another run to end the game.

The Lady Valiants fell to Brookwood 51-25 and are now 4-9 (0-5 region) on the season. Collins led the team in scoring with 11 points, with Shaw coming in second with 4.

Valiants

The Valiants found themselves in unfamiliar territory to start the game after Brookwood went on a 9-0 in the first 3:28.

Richard Hunter finally got Valwood into the scoring column on a 3-pointer, later, with 2:49 left in the first, Triston White cut the Brookwood lead to 14-5. Twenty-nine seconds later, De’Mar Riley found Chase Helfer near the basket, allowing Helfer to cut the deficit to 7. Another Helfer shot brought the Valiants to within 5.

The Warriors went ahead 18-9 before Hunter scored again. They led 23-13 at the end of the frame, despite Jack Morris assisting Connor Hutto in the last minute.

Brookwood continued to score at the start of the second quarter, going on a 8-0 run to go up 31-13. Cort Kurrie broke that string of points, but the Warriors were hot, scoring the next six.

Riley forced back-to-back steals, resulting in three points in the second. Kurrie and Hunter added more points, Hunter on a triple. The Warriors were ahead 54-25 at the half.

Less than one minute into the second half, the Valiants started a scoring run with Helfer scoring seven straight points to cut the deficit to 24. With 5:59 to go in the third, the Warriors started a run of their own, scoring 9 straight points to push the lead to 33.

Brookwood’s lead rose to 72-34 midway through the quarter. Kurrie and Hutto scored, and, with under a minute left, Kurrie found White wide open at the arch, allowing White to drain a 3-pointer. With around 4 seconds left, Hutto rebounded a missed Warrior basket and passed the ball to White, who made a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer.

A shortened fourth period saw White hit another three-pointer. Kurrie also scored and Wren Woodall added the final points of the game, off an assist from Kurrie and at the free throw line.

The Valiants fell to 9-7 (2-3 region) on the season after the 85-50 loss to the Brookwood Warriors. White led in scoring with 14, Helfer had 11.

Both teams were back in action on Thursday, traveling to Dasher to take on the Georgia Christian School Generals (8-4 Boys/10-4 Girls). Valwood will return to Eager Sports Center on Tuesday, Jan. 30 to host the Tiftarea Academy Panthers.