TIFTON — Lowndes basketball teams roared into Region 1-6A competition Saturday night, mashing Tift County twice on the road.

The Vikettes did not allow a field goal until the third quarter is a 52-28 victory while the Vikings sped to a 16-point halftime lead in a 53-37 victory over the Tift boys.

Lowndes hosts Colquitt County Tuesday at 6 p.m. in two more region matchups before hosting Valdosta Saturday. Colquitt’s Packers are off to their first 2-0 region start in nine years. The Lady Pack split weekend games at Camden County and Richmond Hill.

The Vikettes had a 10-point lead barely three minutes into the first period. A box-and-one defense kept Tift’s leading scorer, Jalaya Miller, from making any headway. At the time time, Lowndes dominated the boards, preventing second chances for Tift.

Kaci Demps, Bryanna Thomas and Aryana Thomas all had three-pointers early on. The Vikettes already were up 15 points midway through the first, finishing the frame up 20-6.

Tift County had a free throw seven seconds into the second quarter, but that would be it for the rest of the half. Aryana Thomas again buried a shot from behind the arc. Kayla Jackson’s free throws with 1:29 left send Lowndes into the locker rooms ahead 31-7.

The margin built to 37-9 when the Lady Devils finally hit their first field goal, coming from Jimmya Cushion at 4:15 in the third quarter.  Lowndes had been up by as much as 30, 37-7, on a Bryana Thomas free throw at 5:15. It was a near mercy rule at 40-13 going into the fourth.

Bryanna Thomas had one last three-pointer in the fourth and the Vikettes stretched the gap to 47-13 before Tift finished the game on a 15-5 run.

Aryanna Thomas led scoring for the Vikettes, who are now 11-1. Bryanna Thomas and Jackson each scored 10. Cushion led Tift scorers at 7 points.

VIKINGS 53, TIFT 37

The early minutes of this contest were all about defense.

Tift went up 2-0 on a Kaden Lawson bucket. Kam Jackson’s trey at 7:30 gave the Vikes a 3-2 lead, one they never relinquished.

Jackson blocked a Lawson dunk attempt soon after the initial advantage, with Lawson and Cordell Nelson stopping two Lowndes shots at the rim a minute later.

A Jackson jumper got the offense started again and Isaiah Camon had five points in the first. Lowndes had a 13-4 lead after those eight minutes.

The lead continued to grow in the second quarter, with a red-hot Jackson netting eight points, including two treys. Dallas Montgomery also had a three. Four points by J.J. Lamar and Lawson in the last 30 seconds kept the Blue Devils within striking distance at the half, 26-15.

Tift County continued to hang around in the third, still as close as 10 points after a basket on an inbounds at 1:03.

Kaiden Brown then posted up, with Jackson scoring on a steal and Camon beating the buzzer on a fast break to explode to 42-26.

Lowndes only had three field goals in the fourth, but free throws and the defense meant the Vikings were never in trouble.

Jackson finished at 20 points, with Brown chipping in 11 for the visitors. Tift got 15 points from Lamar. The win was Lowndes’ 10th of the season and they are now 10-5.