Deerfield-Windsor, Brookwood split region games in Albany
There is no mistaking the edge when Deerfield-Windsor and Brookwood share a floor. Region standings might say “just another game,” but history and proximity say otherwise. Tuesday night on the west side of Albany, the two rivals played out another chapter in a series that never seems to lack drama — this time splitting a doubleheader.
The Deerfield-Windsor Lady Knights survived first, outlasting Brookwood 48-46 in an overtime thriller that swung back and forth for most of the night. Then the Brookwood boys took control when it mattered most, using a dominant third quarter to pull away for a 64-56 win over the Knights.
Lady Knights 48, Brookwood 46 (OT)
Deerfield-Windsor looked ready to turn the night into a rout early.
Baileigh Taylor buried two three-pointers in the first quarter, and the Lady Knights sprinted to a 17-6 lead that had Brookwood reeling. But rivalry games have a way of refusing to cooperate with scripts, and the Lady Warriors began their climb back almost immediately.
Brookwood scored the first three baskets of the second quarter to cut into the margin. Laiyah Williams briefly pushed the lead back to double digits with a corner three, but Brookwood kept chipping away and had the deficit down to 26-20 by halftime.
The Lady Knights controlled the game for most of the third quarter, but Brookwood finally broke through early in the fourth, taking its first lead with 5:40 to play — and turning the final minutes into a possession-by-possession grind.
Callie Strickland’s basket underneath put Deerfield-Windsor back in front, but Brookwood answered with a corner 3 to tie it at 41-41. Williams then hit a tough turnaround jumper with 1:15 left to make it 43-41.
Brookwood wasn’t finished. The Lady Warriors had the ball last in regulation and needed three tries, but finally got the tying basket to fall and send the game to overtime.
Points were at a premium in the extra period. Baskets by Williams and Taylor gave Deerfield-Windsor a 47-45 lead, but the Lady Knights nearly gave it away. An offensive foul gave them the ball, but a backcourt violation handed possession right back to Brookwood with eight seconds left.
This time, Deerfield-Windsor survived. The final Brookwood shot missed, and the Lady Knights escaped.
Williams led the way with 17 points, while Pembrooke Daniel added 11 and Taylor chipped in 10. The win improved Deerfield-Windsor to 6-13.
Brookwood 64, Deerfield-Windsor 56 (Boys)
If the girls’ game was a tug-of-war, the boys’ game was decided in one decisive burst.
Deerfield-Windsor carried a 31-28 lead into halftime after a spirited first half that featured momentum swings and timely baskets. Gabe Daniel capped it with a buzzer-beating drive and free throw to give the Knights the three-point edge.
But the third quarter belonged entirely to Brookwood.
The Warriors outscored Deerfield-Windsor 18-9 in the period, turning a tight game into one they controlled the rest of the way.
Brookwood had set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-0 lead and forcing Knights coach Rundy Foster to call an early timeout. Deerfield-Windsor responded, getting a corner three from David Hutchins and later another triple from Lane Sceals to close within 14-12 after one quarter.
Hutchins hit another three to open the second, briefly giving the Knights the lead, and the game stayed tight until Daniel’s three-point play at the buzzer put Deerfield-Windsor ahead at the half.
Then the offense dried up.
The Knights managed just three two-point baskets and three free throws in the third quarter, while Brookwood seized control and never let it go.
Sceals led Deerfield-Windsor with 19 points, Hutchins added 15, and both Jack Moore and Gabe Daniel scored eight.
Despite the loss, the Knights are still 14-3 and will travel to Terrell Academy on Friday night in Dawson.
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.