VALDOSTA— The Lowndes Vikings secured a hard-fought 55-48 victory over the Camden County Wildcats in the opening round of the basketball regional tournament, punching their ticket to the semifinals. 

Camden County struck first with a clean shot from Caleb Reed, but Lowndes quickly responded as Isaiah Camon knocked down a jumper of his own, evening the score at 2-2. The Vikings capitalized on early free throws from Kam Jackson and Noah Khalil to inch ahead 4-2.

Lowndes then found a rhythm, with Tarrell Green Jr. muscling in for two under the basket, followed by Kaiden Brown driving inside for another two points, extending the lead to 8-2. Brown continued to apply pressure, drawing a foul and converting at the line to push Lowndes further ahead at 9-2.

Camden fought back as Johnathan Jones and Jeremiah Reeder responded with their own points, cutting the deficit to 10-5. The Wildcats stayed aggressive to make it a three-point game at 10-7. 

The Wildcats refused to back down, with Jones converting another pair of free throws and John Bowick driving inside for a contested layup to bring Camden within a single point at 12-11. Caleb Reed’s free throws briefly gave Camden the lead at 12-13, but a huge dunk from Kam Jackson kept the Vikings focused and back on top 14-13.

With momentum shifting, Kaiden Brown took control, sinking two mid-range shots to push Lowndes ahead 18-13. The Vikings closed the quarter strong, with Jackson adding a free throw and Dallas Montgomery drilling a three-pointer to extend the lead to 22-15. Camden managed to close the gap slightly before the buzzer, with a three-pointer keeping them within striking distance at halftime, 27-25 in favor of Lowndes.

Lowndes opened the second half with two frees from Camon, but Camden responded immediately, sinking a quick jumper to keep the deficit at two. The Wildcats then struck a major blow, draining a three-pointer to take a 30-29 lead.

Dallas Montgomery wasted no time reclaiming the advantage for Lowndes, knocking down another three-pointer to swing the score to 32-30. Camden’s Reed answered with a smooth jumper to tie things at 32-32, but the Vikings came back with authority as Jackson attacked the paint, finishing through contact and converting the “and-one” free throw to push Lowndes ahead 35-32.

Kaiden Brown continued to stay aggressive, knocking down a free throw before cutting through Camden’s defense for a tough layup, extending the lead to 38-33. The Wildcats managed to chip away at the deficit with James Romano hitting two free throws, but Lowndes countered as Walker hit two clutch foul shots of his own, maintaining a seven-point lead heading into the final period, 42-35.

Camden came out aggressive in the fourth quarter, with Bowick sinking two free throws to cut the lead to 42-37. However, Lowndes answered quickly as Walker exploded into the paint for a contested layup, restoring a seven-point cushion at 44-37.

The Wildcats refused to go away, converting a tough inside basket before Bowick drained a massive three-pointer, suddenly making it a two-point game at 44-42. Lowndes turned to Camon, who responded with a strong drive to the rim, finishing through contact to extend the lead back to four. 

Camden stayed aggressive, with Reed hitting a short jumper to bring the Wildcats within three. As the game entered the final stretch, Camden’s Jeremiah Reeder added two more free throws to pull the Wildcats within striking distance at 49-46. With the pressure mounting, Martin came up clutch, converting a key layup to make it 51-46. Camden continued to battle, with Jones hitting a tough shot inside to make it a three-point game.

With just under 20 seconds left, Jackson added a crucial free throw, giving Lowndes a bit of breathing room at 52-48. Then, in the game’s final moments, Camon took advantage of a loose ball, racing down the court for a layup while drawing a foul. He converted the “and-one” at the line, securing the 55-48 victory for the Vikings.

The Vikings will play the Tift County Blue Devils in the semifinals at Valdosta High School on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.