HAHIRA — The Colquitt County seventh-grade basektball teams swept Hahira in Hahira on Tuesday, as the girls won 20-4 and the boys overcame a halftime deficit to win 43-36.

The seventh-grade Lady Packers claimed their first win of the season by dominating defensively all 24 minutes of the game.

Dexshalyn Polite led the effort, repeatedly pressuring the Hahira guards into turnovers, then leading the fast break.

When the Vikettes were able to get the ball in close, they found Blakelee Handfield, Yuanna Rushing and Tara Reynolds waiting for them.

Handfield led the team in rebounding, and Reynolds blocked several shots.

“I was very pleased with our defense tonight – obviously,” Coach Jon Scroggins said. “To hold a team, at any level, to four points – that shows our commitment on the defensive end.”

The Packers led 12-0 at halftime and kept the shutout going until midway through the third quarter.

“I told them before the game that the team who wanted it the most would win tonight,” Scroggins said. “I also told them that we weren’t going to let them shoot – ‘No good shots!’ That’s our motto defensively.”

Offensively, Abbi Beth Paulk scored the first four points of the game, and finished with eight. Polite also had eight, and Reynolds added four.

The seventh-grade boys finished off the road sweep behind 11 points from Brandon Key. Daniel Mobley added eight, and Robert Lingo and Shiem King each had six.

“That was our best effort so far,” Coach John Phillips said. “I played 14 people and nine of them scored. I was also proud of our defensive effort – we pressured the ball well.”

The first half was back and forth, and neither team was able to establish control.

The largest lead of the first half was four for Hahira, and Colquitt County trailed by that margin at halftime, 19-15.

The youngest Packers opened up the second half with a 7-0 run to lead 22-19, and only trailed once more, 25-24, before finally seizing control in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Packers, now took a 37-29 lead with three minutes to go.