Lee County girls win state opener; Trojans boys fall in overtime to Rockdale

LEESBURG — The Lee County boys basketball team had possibly the highest moment of the season, then lost in overtime 64-54 to Rockdale County on Wednesday night in the first round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs.

In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Lee County Lady Trojans blew past Lakeside-Evans 68-31.

In the boys game, the two teams went toe to toe all night long. Each team went on runs and got ahead, and then the other team answered. When senior Joe Frazier slammed home two points in the second quarter, the Trojans had scored 10 straight points and led Rockdale County by seven, but with a shot at the buzzer, the Bulldogs of Rockdale tied the game 30-30.

Neither offense was clicking in the second half as both teams struggled to get the ball in the basket. The Trojans had several layups and close shots in the paint that just would not fall. But the Trojans looked like they were going to pull away early in the fourth when Lee County’s Donovan Taylor took the ball all the way down the court and through the Bulldog defense to score and give the Trojans a 41-34 lead with 5:31 to play in the game.

But Rockdale called timeout and regrouped. The Trojans had trouble scoring again and the Bulldogs took the lead with just over a minute to play in the game. Frazier hit two free throws to give the lead back to the Trojans briefly, but Rockdale scored again to lead 47-46, then scored again to go ahead 49-46. Lee County head coach Kirven Davis called timeout with eight seconds remaining to put the plan together and that is when the biggest moment of the season happened.

The Trojans got the ball to freshman Braylon Chaney who threw up a long 3-pointer that hit the backboard and went in to tie the game 49-49 as the end of the game buzzer sounded. Pandemonium ensued as Lee County players and fans celebrated.

Unfortunately for the home team, the Trojans did not score again until less than a minute remained in the overtime and Rockdale secured the win.

Frazier led the Trojans with 18 points and Ousmane Kromah added 11 for the Trojans, who finish the season with an 18-10 record.

The Lady Trojans will now advance to the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs after their easy win Wednesday night. Lee County had built a 48-24 lead at the end of the third quarter and Lakeside opened the fourth with a full-court press to try and get back in the game. The Lady Trojans’ Kennedy Snead, Erica Irby, Sarah Head, Cayla Boyd and Jarnyria Maddox were simply too quick for their opponents and ran away with the 68-31 win.

Snead and Maddox each scored 21 points to lead the Lady Trojans who are now 19-6 on the year. Boyd finished with nine. Irby scored eight and Head added seven.

The Lady Trojans will now travel to Woodstock Friday to take on the top-ranked team in AAAAAA River Ridge (27-1). River Ridge blasted Dalton 60-31 Wednesday night.

Joe Whitfield