Lady Warriors fall on shot at the buzzer

Southeast Whitfield guard Joanna Ortiz hit a three-point shot at the buzzer Tuesday night, giving the Lady Raiders a 43-40 win over Gordon Central in the Lady Warriors’ gym.

The loss was their second straight on the heels of a three-game win streak and now they are back in Region 7-2A action, having traveled to North Murray Friday night. (Details of that game were not available at press time).

The road trips continue Saturday night when they are at Coosa in a non-Region encounter and then next Tuesday, Jan. 9, they are at Model to end the first half of the 12-game league docket.

In the loss to Southeast Whitfield County, junior guard Briley Stuart continued her torrid stretch of play, scoring 30 of her team’s 40 points and keeping her team right there all night long with consistent points in every quarter.

Stuart had seven first period points on a 3, a 2, and a pair of free throws while junior Raniyah Ellis also hit a three for their 10 points, but the visitors were still up 12-10 after one.

Stuart had six of the Lady Warriors’ eight second quarter points as the home team tightened things up defensively, allowing just six points to tie the game at 18 at halftime.

From there, the final 16 minutes of play were close to the end with the Lady Raiders topping Gordon Central, 12-10, in the third to lead 30-28 to begin the final period.

Stuart had seven, including another one from downtown, of her team’s 10 in the third. A Lyric Swayne field goal and a Baylee Chastain foul shot were the other three points for the hosts.

The fourth quarter was nip-andtuck with Ortiz’s late heroics giving the Raiders the win. Southeast Whitfield would outscore Gordon Central 13-12 in the fourth.

Stuart finished with 10 points in the period with a pair of baskets and six made foul shots.

Ortiz paced SW with 17 points and Trinity Burse added 13 more in their victory.

The Lady Warriors went into Friday night’s game at Rockmart at 1-3 in league play, but still had a chance to get back into contention because still play all the teams in front of them at least one more and some of them twice.

The race at the top went into the

WARRIORS,

week jumbled at the top with Murray County at 3-0 the last team still unbeaten in the circuit. Model, Rockmart, and Fannin County all had one league apiece with Model having three wins and Rockmart and Fannin County at 2-1.

Those teams have also played good basketball the first couple of months of the season with Model standing 10-2 overall and Murray County is 9-4 through 13 games. Rockmart stood 9-2 as well and Fannin County, which lost to Calhoun Tuesday night in Gordon County, has seven wins. The North Murray team that Gordon Central played Friday night was 8-5 going into that game.

Then North Murray was fifth at 1-2 while GC was 1-3 and Haralson County was off to an 0-4 start.

The Lady Warriors were 4-10 overall.