MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County boys basketball team pulled to within three points of Tift County in final seven seconds on Friday in their Region 1-AAAAA matchup at the Gladys Espy Gymnasium, but could get no closer as the Blue Devils, ranked No. 8 in the state, escaped with a 57-52 victory.

Colquitt County girls, with their 3-0 Region 1-AAAAA record on the line, were held to their lowest point total of the season and were never in the game in a 47-27 loss to the Lady Devils.

The Lady Packers, who fall to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the region, never scored successive baskets in the game played on their home court.

Colquitt turned the ball over 15 times in the first half and trailed 29-14 at the break.

It was no prettier in the second half, as the Lady Packers scored just 13 points.

The loss snapped a four-game Lady Packers winning streak.

Tift County came to Moultrie on the heels of a 45-37 loss to Lowndes on Tuesday and just dominated.

The Lady Devils won the first game of the season between the two teams, taking a 44-42 decision in the tournament at Lowndes in November.

This one would not be close after the first few minutes.

Tift County Lindsay Welker had just five points, all on free throws in the loss to Lowndes on Tuesday, but surpassed that in the first quarter against the Lady Packers.

The sophomore post player had seven in the first quarter and went on to lead all scorers with 14 points.

Tift County’s Jessica Jenkins added 13.

The Lady Packers most productive quarter was the third when they scored eight points.

Even in the fourth, when Tift County coach Michelle Caldwell went to her bench, the Lady Packers’ managed just five points.

Colquitt never was able to effectively get the ball inside.

Lady Packer post players Jessica Lemus and Taquella Coates had just one and two baskets respectively.

Coates led Colquitt County with eight points. Ashley Stafford had six, Dorothy Strong had five, Nicolle Thomas had four and Lemus had one basket.

In the second game in front of a large and loud crowd, the Packers stood toe-to-toe with the Blue Devils, but never could contain Justin Brownlee, who scored inside and outside and put up 24 points.

Brownlee, an All-Region 1-AAAAA selection last season, had nine baskets and two 3-pointers. He scored 17 points in the first half.

Keith Cagle, who had a trio of 3-pointers, added 19 for the Blue Devils, who are now 13-4 overall and 3-0 in the region.

Terrell Johnson, the transfer from Ware County who made his first appearance for the Devils on Tuesday and scored 16 points in the victory over Lowndes, added 10.

Brownlee hit a basket with 41 seconds left in the first quarter to give the Blue Devils a 12-11 lead after the first eight minutes.

Tift County extended the lead to six at the half and seven at the end of three quarters, but the Packers made a fourth-quarter run.

The Packers cut the Tift County lead to four and got the Packer faithful on their feet with a Antwan Tuff 3-pointer with 2:54 left in the game.

Another Tuff basket with 2:07 left pulled the Packers to within in three at 51-48.

James Trimble’s put-back with 8.3 seconds left had the Packers within a 3-pointer again, but Johnson hit two free throws with seven ticks left to put the game out of reach.

Tuff had a big night in the big game, scoring a game-high 25 points, which included five 3-pointers.

Trimble added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Andrew Wallace had eight points and Jeremy DeBruce and Corey Goss each had four.

The Packers hit just 7-of-13 free throws.

Colquitt County will be back at the Espy Gymnasium tonight for a pair of non-Region 1-AAAAA games against Thomasville, beginning at 7 p.m. The Packers and Lady Packers will travel to Lowndes on Tuesday.