VALDOSTA — Perhaps caught looking ahead to Friday’s showdown against Valdosta High, the Lowndes basketball teams nearly stumbled against Brooks County on Tuesday night.
However, 3-point baskets bailed out both the Vikings and the Vikettes, who eventually pulled away from the pesky Trojans and Lady Trojans.
Robert Powell scored 25 points and Brian Wright buried a couple of late 3s, as the Vikings came from behind to beat the Trojans 71-64, and Amanda Harper hit five 3-pointers in the second half to help the Vikettes overcome an eight-point halftime deficit and defeat the Lady Trojans 60-51.
In the boys’ game, the Vikings (12-7) jumped out to a 38-29 halftime lead, thanks to 15 first-half points from Powell and a defense that only allowed three Trojans to score. However, the Trojans started the second half on a 16-2 run, led by Darin Edwards, who scored the Trojans’ first eight points of the half.
The Trojans (1-17) went up 45-40, but Aaron Winston kept the Vikings in the game by scoring the team’s next six points. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth until Wright nailed a 3 late in the game to put the Vikings up 60-59, their first lead since early in the second half. Wright made a pair of free throws, then drilled another 3 from the corner to put the Vikings up 65-59 with 3:35 left in the game.
Keojuan Rose, who poured in 26 points for Brooks, answered with a 3 for the Trojans. But Brian Moore ended the Trojans’ hopes by converting a 3-point play with under three minutes to go to put the Vikings back up by six.
It was a win the Vikings badly needed. They came into the game on a three-game losing streak, which included a two-point loss to Warner Robins and an overtime loss to Tift County.
“Friday night is the talk of the town,” Vikings head coach Kingston Clark said. “Everybody is getting geared up and ready to go for that, and I think that’s partially what was on our minds tonight.”
In the girls’ game, the Vikettes (16-3, 7-1) found themselves trailing 28-20 at halftime, but Harper got them right back in the game. She began the second half with a 3, and after a Jasmine Copeland jumper, Harper drained another 3 to tie the game two minutes into the third quarter.
Harper hit two more 3s in the quarter, including one that gave the Vikettes their first lead of the half, 38-37. Overall, she was 4 of 5 from beyond the arc in the quarter.
The Lady Trojans (13-5) regained the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 3 by Shatera Fortner, but Harper responded with another 3 to put the Vikettes up for good. The Vikettes scored their final seven points from the free throw line to seal the game.
Harper finished with 22 points. Keira Peak added 14 points.
The Vikings and Vikettes host crosstown rival Valdosta on Friday, beginning at 6 p.m.
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Vikings, Vikettes rally in second half, beat Brooks
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