By HARVEY SIMPSON

Dispatch Sports Editor

COCHRAN — Controversy spiced the final moments of the girls game that officials ruled was won 49-48 by Bleckley County, but in the boys battle there was no debate at all about Wilcox’s 63-43 triumph.

The split came in the first of two non-region battles the schools will have this week as after visiting Stewart County (Lumpkin) for a 6 p.m. Friday fray, the Patriots and Lady Patriots will host the Royals and Lady Royals on Saturday at 7.

Bleckley 49, Wilcox 48 (girls)

With Bleckley taking a 49-48 lead on Tyreshia Williams’ free throw with 4.9 seconds showing on the clock, the Lady Patriots’ Jenna Kennedy dribbled to mid-court and passed to Michaela Dennard who seemingly hit a game-winning field goal with 2.2 seconds left to play.

As Lady Royal players started walking off the court in apparent dejection over being beaten at the buzzer, one of the officials waved off Dennard’s basket as if time had expired before the shot was taken. That ruling made the visitors a one-point loser instead of a one-point winner.

The resulting frustration Wilcox felt at that moment only added to the disappointment it experienced in the game’s early going when it went scoreless for the first five minutes of play en route to a 14-5 first period deficit.

“We must have had at least 8-10 turnovers at the start and when you don’t have the ball you can’t shoot and when you can’t shoot you don’t score,” Lady Patriots’ coach Santita Coon said in her post-game reflections.

“We finally got some shots to start falling in the second quarter (Wilcox won that period 17-9 to get within 23-22 at halftime), but then in the third period went cold again (getting outscored 14-7 to drop into an eight-point hole).

“We did pick things up in the last quarter when we were able to force some turnovers with the pressure we put on them each time we scored, but then came the controversy there at the end. It just was not a good night for us.”

With 15 and 10 points, respectively, Shareba Montgomery and Kennedy wound up as the scoring leaders for the now 15-4 Lady Patriots. Williams got a game-high 24 for Bleckley which received another 18-point effort from Shakira Basby.

Score by Quarters

Wilcox County 5-17-7-19 — 48