CLAXTON Ashley Kennedy had been in this situation before. With the game on the line and her team trailing, the senior forward stepped to the free-throw line Tuesday night and calmly sank two shots to give the Lady Tigers of Claxton a 40-39 win over visiting Southeast Bulloch. I was like Yes, thank you Jesus, said Kennedy. The pressure was gone and it was all over. Kennedy had missed two free throws earlier in the season against Tattnall County sending CHS to a loss. I was just thinking, This can not happen again, said Kennedy. I remember thinking the first time I rushed the second shot, so this time I decided to take my time. Kennedys two free throws left just 12 seconds in the game, and DeAnn Lewis desperation 3 fell short for SEB (8-11) with 2.4 left in the game. Claxton (8-13) ran out the clock from there and sealed the win. It wasnt pretty, but weve been struggling and we needed a win, said CHS head coach Laura Aziz. The kids hung in there and had to fight through a little adversity. It could have gone either way, but we needed that win tonight. Kennedys free throws capped a wild fourth quarter. Sixteen seconds before that, SEBs Brittany Carters game-tying shot in the lane was blocked, but Carter tracked down the loose ball and nailed a 3 from deep in the right corner to give the Lady Yellow Jackets a 39-38 lead. Claxtons Lacreasha Brewton had given CHS a 36-35 lead when her first 3 at the 1:46 mark gave the Tigers a 38-36 lead. It was the first 3-pointer from Brewton in the second half after her previous 10 had missed the mark. Southeast had built a five-point lead in the fourth quarter off two Lewis fastbreak layups and a Carter putback before CHS made their final run. The Jackets inability to control the ball over the final 12 seconds hurt their chances at a win. We just werent playing with any kind of focus or intensity there, said SEB head coach Milton Williams. We went through the motions and let the game stay close when we had a working margin. They deserved to win because we didnt play well enough to win. Southeast trailed 21-18 coming into the second half, but took the lead on a Carter steal and layup with 3:11 to go at 25-24. Another Carter steal and layup pushed the lead to five for SEB and the Lady Tigers were held scoreless for a stretch of 3:45 at one point. Carter finished with 19 points for SEB while Brewton had 12 on four 3-pointers for CHS on 4-for-24 shooting. Kennedy finished with 19 points and nine rebounds and had six points in the second quarter. It was there that the Tigers built a seven-point advantage with 4:42 to go in the half. Claxton jumped out to a 5-0 lead after SEB missed its first four shots of the game. The Jackets ended the quarter on a 5-1 run and trailed by just a point. Claxton will resume region play on Friday when it travels to Emanuel County Institute. Southeast Bulloch will also get back into the region schedule with a trip to Jefferson County.