VALDOSTA –– A 24-point third quarter propelled the Lowndes Vikettes (10-4, 4-3 Region 1-7A) past Camden County (4-14, 0-7 Region) in the first round of the region tournament, 55-39.

On the heels of the Vikettes’ best basketball of the season, Lowndes was poised to come out and defeat the Wildcats to advance in the tournament.

But Camden opened the game ready to fight and stunted Lowndes’ offensive ability. When the starters grew stagnant for Lowndes in the first half, head coach Antonia Tookes made a bold move and subbed in her reserve players.

It gave her starters a chance to rest and observe what areas they could exploit.

When the starters returned to the game in the third quarter, they reverted back to their defensive identity and made life hard for the Wildcats.

They forced turnovers on defense that led to uncontested fast break layups and open shots on the other end.

Five different Lowndes players scored in the third quarter. Led by Amayah Espanol’s nine points, Faith Johnson’s eight points and Tase Middleton’s six points, the Vikettes were able to push their advantage.

By the end of the third quarter, the game was far out of reach for the Wildcats, thanks to the team effort shown by the Vikettes.

“I’d like to shoutout my bench because they came in with energy,” Tookes said after the game. “Taleyah Belcher, Alaysha Williams, Jariah Thompson, Gracie Brant, Ariyah Davis. A freshman came in and took a charge. A freshman. That was huge for them to hold the game. To let my first group sit down and see the game for almost four minutes and still not let Camden score.”

Now the Vikettes turn their attention to Tift who they’ll host on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Lowndes split the season series with the Blue Devils, each team taking a win on the other’s home court.

The rubber match will mean a chance to face Colquitt for the region championship.

“It’s going to take all of us,” Tookes said about the chance to go further in the tournament. “Boxing out. Rebounding. And I’ve always said this since I’ve been coaching: Defense wins championships. Who is the better defensive team in that game on Tuesday is going to win it.”

Colquitt boys 71

Lowndes 47

The third time was not the charm for the Lowndes Vikings as they fell to Colquitt in the region tournament, 71-47.

After beating the Packers twice in the regular season, Lowndes couldn’t overcome the athleticism of Colquitt and found themselves on the wrong end of a blowout.

The closest the Vikings got was within seven when they went on a 8-0 run after halftime that prompted a Colquitt timeout.

After the timeout, Colquitt got its first basket and Lowndes turned the ball over, thus ending the comeback attempt.

J.J. Williams put up 27 points for the Vikings in the loss but was often the lone source of offense.

No other player scored in double figures for Lowndes while Colquitt’s top scorers finished with 16, 16 and 14 respectively.

“I think it just showed that they wanted it badder than we did,” head coach Reshon Benjamin said after the game. “Man for man, person for person, player for player, I think that we’re better. The energy that they attacked with, the confidence that they took the floor with. Plain and simple, they just wanted it badder than we did. Hopefully, for our guys, it’s another learning experience.”

With the loss, Lowndes will take the No. 4 seed in the region and have to travel for GHSA playoffs.

The mood after the game was despondent as expected, but the goal will be to take the pain of the loss and build upon it for the future.