Colquitt County has been on the road for three straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane at 7:00 p.m. Hopefully Colquitt County is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Fitzgerald in Georgia (Colquitt County is ranked 35th, while Fitzgerald is ranked 225th).
Last Friday, Colquitt County was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 55-50 to Veterans. The loss put an end to Colquitt County's undefeated start to the season.
Despite their defeat, Colquitt County saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Amira Walters- Smith, who scored 17 points, was perhaps the best of all. Walters- Smith scored a full 34% of Colquitt County's points, the sixth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jamya Moore, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Fitzgerald ultimately got the result they hoped for last Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Coffee 67-64. Fitzgerald's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Fitzgerald's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Anteneese Nixon led the charge by scoring 14 points along with five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kianti McDuffie, who scored 14 points along with five assists.
Colquitt County's loss dropped their record down to 7-1. As for Fitzgerald, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Colquitt County was able to grind out a solid victory over Fitzgerald when the teams last played back in January of 2015, winning 55-46. Does Colquitt County have another victory up their sleeve, or will Fitzgerald turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
