VHS Basketball Season Ends
The Vidalia High School basketball teams will not have a team in the State Playoffs for the first time since 2006 as they dropped games early in the Region Tournament, including an instant classic, triple overtime game for the boys against rival Toombs County.
Girls vs. Swainsboro
The Lady Indians faced off with Swainsboro on Tuesday of last week and started off pretty shaky as they quickly fell behind 10-0 to the Lady Tigers. VHS did go on a run at the end of the first to close that lead to 12-7 at the buzzer.
In the second with just over five minutes to go in the half the Tigers were up 18-8. VHS closed that lead to 18-12 with 3:30 to play in the half, and it was 20-14 with 2:45 left in the half after a basket by De'Asia Thomas. But by the end of the half the score was 24-15 with the Lady Tigers out in front. It was another slow start in the third for VHS as they went over three minutes without scoring. The score was 31-15 with four minutes on the clock. It was 35-18 with just over two minutes to go and at the end of the third the score was 40-26.
Swainsboro went on to win the game over the Lady Indians 50-43 as VHS made a late run and outscored Swainsboro 17-10 in the fourth.
With that loss, that ended the season for the Lady Indians with a record of 10-11 overall.
Boys vs. Toombs
The VHS boys took on Toombs on Wednesday night at home and what a game it was! 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 continued from page
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 freethrows 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 free-throws, and then Toombs took the lead on a fast-break 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.
VHS was led by Dalley with 18 points, Johnson added 13, Whited posted 11, and Hill and Owens each scored 9. VHS ends the season with a record of 13-8.
