LaFAYETTE — A tale of two halves is the way the Valley girls head basketball coach George Grimes put it.

After building a 12-point lead in the first half, the Valley High School girls basketball team ultimately lost to the LaFayette Bulldogs 46-41 on Tuesday night.

“We came out the first half playing like we have,” Grimes said. “In the second half, we didn’t do what we had in mind to do, and came out on the [wrong] end.”

LaFayette was missing its starting shooting guard Ebony Williams in the first half, but once she returned, she knocked down a couple of key baskets in the Bulldogs’ comeback.

Despite finishing with 35 points, LaFayette girls head basketball coach Michael Bratcher said that he believed that Tuesday night was the worst game that Feliah Greer has had this season.

It was one player who went scoreless that stood out to him.

“Janeria Gaines was big for us coming off the bench,” Bratcher said. “She didn’t score a point, but defensively she sped them up, and caused some havoc.”

Moving forward, the team’s effort is what concerns Bratcher the most about Tuesday night, but he’s still glad that the poor performance resulted in a victory.

On the Valley side, Grimes said that he wants the team to learn how to finish games.

“Defensively, [we] have to be smarter, and not get into foul trouble,” Grimes said. “Foul trouble hurts us late in ball games. Offensively, we just have to keep attacking the basket, and finish [at the rim] better.”

Star Core led all Valley scorers with 15 points, Arteria Florence contributed 14 points. 

Ana Magby, Jayla Lancaster, Emerald Floyd and Kwane Cofield also got on the board for the Rams. 

For LaFayette, Williams scored 8 points in the second half, and Alahbra’J Todd also got on the board for the Bulldogs in the win.

Tuesday night marked the third matchup between the two teams this season. 

After losing the first game during Thanksgiving break,  LaFayette ultimately won the early-season series 2-1.