Destiny Johnson (13) is fouled on a shot attempt. She was one of two Lady Devils to score in double-digits Monday.

TIFTON – The Tift County Blue Devils and Lady Devils played their third game in four days Monday and made it a winning night, sweeping the Turner County Rebels in basketball action.

Tift and Turner were the main event of a special day of basketball honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Preceding the program that saw four teams gathered on the court to listen to a message from Pastor Cornelius Ponder, Mitchell County took two victories from Hawkinsville.

Tift’s Lady Devils extended their win streak to two games in a 54-48 victory, with the Devils blowing open their game with Turner in the fourth period, 51-34.

The girls game was tight throughout, with neither side ever leading by more than six points.

Tift was ahead by five, 38-33, to start the fourth quarter, but soon ran into trouble.

Zakiyah Office made five straight points, including a three-pointer to tie the game at 38 at 6:10. The Lady Devils went ahead by a point on a Keisha Jackson free shot before Miya Byrd drove down the lane for a bucket and a 40-39 Turner advantage.

For the next three minutes, they went back-and-forth. Byrd put Turner up by two at 3:45, then Destiny Johnson’s three 12 seconds later made it 44-43 Tift.

Byrd scored again for a 46-44 Lady Rebels lead before free throws by Nicky Jones gave it back to Tift, 47-46.

Office gave Turner its last tie at 2:21. Tift gave the ball to Jones and she buried a three-pointer at 1:45 for a 50-47 game. Office hit one of two free throws at 1:26, but the Lady Devils were able to pass the ball around for 40 seconds.

Denise Duggins made two free throws for a bit of a cushion at 52-48, Jones and Duggins each extending it by a point. A steal by Jamia Level ended Turner’s chances with 15 seconds remaining.

Tift was up four points in the first three minutes of the game before Turner pushed back. Taking advantage of a technical foul on Tift because of an incorrect uniform number, they tied the game, then went ahead on an Office shot.

Johnson regained the lead at 9-7 on a Jones assist, with Anna Daniels’ offensive rebound providing a 11-7 advantage at the end of the quarter.

There were six lead changes in the second period. Turner went ahead by three, their largest lead, on two different occasions. However, Jones and Johnson again keyed a Tift rally. The Lady Devils were briefly ahead, but Mia Carithers’ basket with 31 seconds meant a 19-19 tie at halftime.

A 9-3 run to open the third gave Tift a 28-22 lead midway through the frame, but they could never push it further. Tylerriah Graddic halved the margin to 36-33 with 1:10 remaining, with the Lady Devils making it five points when Tamari Way scored right before the buzzer.

Jones and Johnson proved a winning combination for the Lady Devils. Jones scored 18 and Johnson had 14. Office and Byrd were their match, combining for 34 of Turner’s points (including all 15 in the fourth quarter), Office providing 23.

BLUE DEVILS 51, REBELS 34

Though Tift County never trailed in Monday’s contest, the Blue Devils had only a five-point lead (37-32) very late in the third quarter after a score off an offensive rebound by Demarcus Barnes.

Tyree Marshall swung the momentum in the Devils’ favor as he nailed a three-ball from the left corner to end the quarter. Then Tift went on a roll.

Turner hit no field goals in the fourth and their only points came on free throws from Quent Tennille with 1:17 left.

In the seven minutes proceeding Turner’s points, the Devils racked up 11 straight. Marshall stayed hot, with another three and Montavious Terrell capped a career night with six fourth quarter points.

Terrell provided so much of Tift’s scoring that when head coach Chris Wade emptied his bench, he had almost outscored the Rebels. Terrell went to the bench with 28 points. At the time, Turner had 32.

“We got a good scoring night out of Montae,” said Wade.

Wade was happy that he was able to play all of his available roster. Their minutes, he said, could come in handy down the line, especially if they had to be called upon in a state tournament game.

Tift had a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. Barnes scored Turner’s first field goal and the Devils briefly were ahead as much as eight points before Tyler Moore had a three-point play in the last minute.

Turner got as close as three points on a Barnes field goal that started the second. Terrell then hit back-to-back three-pointers as part of an 8-0 run and when Turner threatened again, Terrell score five straight.

A three-pointer by Kiearin Anderson with five seconds left allowed Turner to go into the half trailing by four points, 28-24.

Terrell once again had back-to-back three-pointers in the third for a 37-27 Tift lead. Turner hung around, cutting it to 37-32 on Barnes’ shot before the Tift explosion that carried them to victory.

Besides Terrell’s huge night, Marshall had a season-high 10 points.

Moore had 10 points for Turner, Anderson chipping in six.

Tift will be at Lowndes Friday for a Region 1 game before returning home Saturday to face Worth County.