The Sandy Creek High girls basketball team made 18 free throws to Cartersville’s five Friday night in the Region 5-AAAA matchup in Tyrone.

In a low-scoring game, the unusually high free throw count for the Lady Patriots proved to be the difference in a 44-32 win over the Lady Canes.

Cartersville hung around early, trailing 13-9 after the first quarter. After a 4-4 second quarter in which neither team could get anything going offensively, the free throws started to mount for Sandy Creek in the third.

Daija Powell got to the line in that period and made five free throws, part of an 11-point quarter that contributed to her game-high 20 points. The result of Powell’s scoring outburst was a 17-9 run in the third quarter that led to a 15-point Sandy Creek lead going into the final stanza.

The Lady Canes made an attempt at a comeback, outscoring Sandy Creek 10-7 in the final period behind six points from Haley Johnson, but it would not be enough.

Johnson was the high scorer for Cartersville with 10 points while Naijah Evans chipped in eight.

Cartersville, now 8-7 overall and 1-3 in region play, will next take on Chapel Hill Saturday in Douglasville.

Rome 60, Woodland girls 15

Region 7-AAAAA is unforgiving in girls high school basketball. The Lady Wildcats know that all too well.

After losing to the No. 7-ranked team in the state, Carrollton, a week ago by 50 points, and then losing to No. 1-ranked Villa Rica the next day by 51, Woodland had to face another top team in the region Friday.

The score looked eerily similar, as Woodland fell by a score of 60-15 to Rome at home.

Woodland scored just three points in the first half and no Wildcat scored more than five in the game.

Woodland is now 1-15 overall and 1-8 in region. The schedule will ease up Tuesday when Woodland faces last-place Paulding County.