Toombs Over VHS In Triple-Overtime Thriller

The Toombs County High school basketball teams took part in the Region 2AA Tournament last week with the girls finishing in fourth place while the boys came up with a big upset of Vidalia and worked their way into the Championship game where they lost to Swainsboro.

Girls vs. Bacon

It was low scoring between these two teams as TCHS led 4-2 after two minutes of play. Aniyah Mckinnon made it 7-2 with just over five minutes to go in the first. Bacon went on a run and took a 9-8 lead over Toombs with just over a minute to go, and at the end of the first the score was 11-8 with Bacon on top.

KayKay Mobley closed the lead to 1-10 early in the second and Mckinnon tied the game at 11-11 with a free-throw. Bacon went back up 14-11, but the Lady Bulldogs took the lead back 15-14 with 3:45 to go in the first half. Mobley extended that lead to 17-14.

Bacon again came back to take the lead, 19-17 with just under a minute left on the clock. At the end of the first half that was the score, 19-17, with Bacon in front.

In the second half Toombs picked up the pace and Mobley gave the Bulldogs the lead with a three at 25-24. Toombs was up 38-25 early in the fourth and went on to take the win, 55-42 as they wet on a late run to pull away.

Girls vs. Woodville

Up next for the Lady Bulldogs was Woodville-Tompkins. Toombs had a tough time against the Lady Wolverines as they lost the game 62-35.

Girls vs. Swainsboro

That put Toombs into the consolation game where they faced off with the Lady Tigers of Swainsboro. If it wasn’t for a big first from Swainsboro, the Lady Bulldogs may have pulled out the win.

Swainsboro took a 19-8 lead at the end of the first, but Toombs came back to close the lead to 32-25 at the end of the first half.

In the third period Toombs trailed 51-43. Toombs tried to close that gap in continued from page

the fourth, but fell short as Swainsboro won the game 62-55.

Boys vs. East Laurens

The TCHS boys kicked off their Region Tournament play against the Falcons of East Laurens. Toombs won the close game 63-57 to keep their season alive, an set them up with a match against their rival Vidalia.

Boys vs. Vidalia

What a game it was, an instant classic, as the Bulldogs took VHS to triple overtime to beat them for the first time since 2016.

Matt Hill got the scoring started for VHS with the first basket of the game. Ira Clements gave VHS a 4-2 lead, but a basket by Julian Mann for Toombs gave them a 5-4 lead over the Indians. Brantley Upshaw increased the TCHS lead to 7-4 with 5:15 on the clock. Upshaw added to that lead, but Ty Dalley hit his first basket for VHS and closed it to 9-6 with 3:30 left in the first period. Konner Owens made it 9-8, and then Dalley gave VHS the lead at 10-9. It was 12-9 after another basket by Hill as VHS was on a run. Jamie Wardlaw got a shot to go for the Bulldogs and tied the game at 12-12 with just over a minute left in the first. Kaylan Johnson gave VHS back the lead and at the end of the first period the Indians led 14- 12. Mann tied the game early in the second period, but a three-pointer by Bryson Whited for VHS put the indians up 17-14. Dalley made it 19-15 with 3:20 left in the first half. DJ Mckinney hit a jumper for Toombs, and then Dominic Eason made it 21-19 with 1:30 left in the half.

By the end of the first half of action the score was 25-21 with VHS in front of the Bulldogs.

In the third period the Bulldogs went on a run as they took the lead over the Indians 29-27.VHS tied the game on a shot by Dalley and then Owens put VHS back on top 31-29. Toombs tied it on a shot by Jayden Pierson, but Johnson put the Indians quickly back on top.

With 2:18 left in the third Toombs took a 34-33 lead and then got a baseline three by Mckinney as Toombs led 37-33 with 1:30 left in the third. VHS went on a late run with Dalley getting a couple of shots to fall as they took a 40-37 lead into the fourth period.

In the fourth Johnson pushed the lead to 46-38 for VHS. Toombs went on a run with Mann and Vaughn getting shots to go. Mann closed it to 49-47, and Toombs came up with a steal, but a big block by Johnson for VHS kept Toombs from tying the game.

Hill added to the VHS lead to make it 51-47, but Wardlaw worked hard under the basket for the Bulldogs and closed that to 51-49. Whited gave VHS a 54-49 with a three with just 1:30 left in the game.

Mann did a great job down the stretch for TCHS at the free-throw line. He made two to close the lead to 54-51. VHS missed a few free-throws in the final minute and with just 16 seconds left Toombs got the ball, down by three. With 9 seconds left Whited blocked a shot, but then with just 1 second on the clock, Mckinney hit a three from the corner to tie the game at 54-54 and send it to overtime.

In the first overtime Mckinney gave Toombs the lead on another three at 57-55. VHS tied the game and went ahead on a Hill three-pointer with just one minute to go at 60-57. Mann made two more freethrows, and then Toombs took the lead on a fastbreak basket by Mann, 61-60.

Mckinney made a pair of free-throws with just 25 seconds left to put TCHS up 63-62. Mann added two more from the line to lead 65-62. Owens then drove in with just five seconds left and was fouled. Owens hit the free-throw to tie the game back at 65-65 and send it to double overtime.

There was not much scoring in the second overtime as the score was tied at 69-69 under a minute to go. Whited was fouled late in the period and made two free-throws to put VHS up 71-69 with just 12 seconds left. With just two seconds to go Vaughn found Pierson under the basket for Toombs to tie the game at 71-71 and send the game to triple overtime.

Early in the third overtime Dalley hit a shot for VHS, his first since the third period. Mann tied the game at 73-73 with 2:30 left, and then he gave Toombs the lead with two minutes left. Upshaw slammed one down for a four point lead 77-73 with one minute left. Mckinney added a free throw and then he put another on the board for a 79-74 lead. Mann then stole it and slammed it for an 81-74 lead in the final seconds of the game to secure the win for the Bulldogs.

Toombs got the win 83-77 over the Indians to end VHS season. Toombs was led by Mann with 24 points.

TCHS vs. Swainsboro

That win put Toombs against the #1 team in the state and the defending State Champions for the Region Championship. Toombs gave the Tigers a run but fell short. Toombs played well but were just outmatched by Swainsboro and lost the game 79-60. This week the Toombs girls were at Washington County on Tuesday after presstime for the first round of the GHSA State AA Playoffs. Washington is the #1 seed out of Region 3AA. The boys will play Monticello on Wednesday at home at 6:00 p.m. for their first round game. Monticello is the #3 seed out of Region 3AA.

KayKay Mobley finds an open lane as she gets two points for the Lady Bulldogs during action against Bacon County in the Region Tournament.Photo by Mike Branch

Jamie Wardlaw puts it up and in on a fast break for the Bulldogs in their win over Vidalia.Photo by Mike Branch