After facing some tough competition last week, the Jefferson Lady Dragons enter the Christmas break still looking for their first win of the season.
Jefferson will be back in action on Dec. 28, as they face the Lady Longhorns of Kell in the Pickens County Christmas Tournament.
Tournament play runs through Dec. 30.
Fannin County
The Lady Dragons started the week off with a trip north to Fannin County to face the Lady Rebels.
Things went well for the first three quarters, with Jefferson staying within striking distance. At the end of the third, Fannin held a 21-18 advantage.
But things went sour for the Lady Dragons in the fourth quarter, as they went 0-20 from the floor.
“I don’t know that I have an explanation for it,” said coach Jason Gibson. “It was just one of those nights.”
The Lady Rebels were then able to pull out a lead on a couple of perimeter shots, then landed free throws off of fouls as Jefferson tried for a few more possessions. At the end, Fannin County came away with the 41-21 victory.
“Fannin’s got a good club,” Gibson said. “They play extremely hard, and I wouldn’t be surprised at the end of the year to see them fighting it out with Rabun for the top spot.”
Dawson County
Up next for Jefferson was a trip to Dawson County to take on the Lady Tigers.
Things went well early on, with the Lady Dragons shooting better than in the previous few games, and playing well defensively. By the end of the third quarter, they found themselves leading 33-32.
But for the second straight game, Jefferson did not make a field goal in the fourth quarter, going 0-11 from the floor. The defense managed to hold Dawson County to only five points, but without an answer from the offense, the Lady Tigers went on to win 37-35.
“I thought we played as well as we played in the last few games,” Gibson said. “We shot the ball a little bit better, which is something we’re going to have to do.
“This group, for whatever reason, has had problems scoring. I feel like they’re getting better, but we’ve got to learn how to win some of those close games.”
Rabun County
The Lady Dragons next played in their home opener for the season, as they hosted Rabun County on Saturday.
“Against Rabun County, we probably played our best game all year against what I consider to be a very good team,” Gibson said. “They’re probably one of the top two or three teams we’ve played all year.
By most accounts, they’re probably the favorite to win our region. I felt like our effort against them was really good.”
The game plan for Jefferson was to be patient and methodical, making the Lady Wildcats defend them rather than pushing the ball up and down the floor.
“I really felt like we really played a pretty good game in terms of our game plan,” Gibson said.
At the half, Rabun held a six-point lead, 18-12.
But in the third quarter, Rabun’s pressure changed the game and allowed them to open up about a 17-point lead.
Jefferson moved back into contention in the fourth quarter, but could not close the game as the Lady Wildcats won 49-34.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald.
