Basketball Recap: A'acaylah Murphy's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Swainsboro over Vidalia

After flying high against Jefferson County last Saturday, Swainsboro came back down to earth. The Swainsboro Tigers took a 49-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Vidalia Indians on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 316th, while the Indians are ranked 126th).

Swainsboro's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was A'Acaylah Murphy, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. Murphy is crushing it when it comes to boards: she's pulled down at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Jalaya Freeman also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.

Even though they lost, Swainsboro smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.

Vidalia's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Hannah Nichols, who went 9 for 15 en route to 22 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Nichols has posted since back in February of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tori Polke, who went 6 of 9 on her way to 15 points along with eight boards and four steals.

Swainsboro now has a losing record at 6-7. As for Vidalia, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season.

Swainsboro didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 57-53 defeat against Savannah Country Day on the 28th. As for Vidalia, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 48-26 win against Savannah Christian on the 28th.