MOULTRIE – Settling a quick debate about going for the win or the tie, Colquitt County High’s boys basketball team found no reason to not try to stun Tift County High in regulation Friday on William Bryant Court.

Donovan Powell took the 3-pointer at the top of the key, the buzzer sounded, and the basketball missed the rim slightly to the right. The Blue Devils, down by as much as four to the Packers in the final period, escaped with a 45-43 Region 1-7A win.

Colquitt County’s boys were trying to win in region for the first time under first-year head coach Tremaine Facsion. It was one season ago, with Andy Harden at the helm, that the Packers were one shot away from upending Tift County in front of a packed gym in Moultrie. But in that game Colquitt committed a quick turnover and thus lost also by a slim margin.

Most unfortunate for the Packers is that arguably the best 3-point shooter on the roster, point guard Montavious Ponder, fouled out with less than 30 seconds to play. As a non-starter on Friday, Ponder led Colquitt with 13 points.

Elijah Scott had 10 points, 2 coming on a go-ahead baseline jumper with 4:29 to go in the fourth. Tyler Walker had the home team’s last field goal to finish with nine points.

The low point total in the game can be credited to the patient, deliberate pace Tift County set, even after taking the opening tip-off and throwing an immediate lob for a slam. The Blue Devils crawled out to a 7-0 lead; five minutes into the game Colquitt County had points from Walker. But the Packers ended the quarter on a 6-0 run, and that’s thanks to two assists by Ponder to Walker off penetration with a minute to play and on a lob Henry Daniels put through at the buzzer.

Colquitt County didn’t score again until almost halfway through the second quarter … and it was only down by five points when Scott connected. So Tift County was up 11-8 and fortunate to not give up points on turnovers like one Daniels caused in the low post.

With 2:36 until halftime, Tift went on a little 5-0 run with put-back points. Scott made one of just Packer two 3-pointers for the whole game with 28 seconds to play, but the Blue Devils answered with a quick four in a row.

At the half, Colquitt trailed the most it would all half, 10, 22-12. The process of crawling back into it began with Scott’s penetration assist to Lemeke Brockington, who was quiet in the first half. Tift scored just three times from the floor in the third period, two times early. One was a 3-ball to answer Walker’s put-back.

Down by 11, Ponder handled the comeback with a lob assist to Daniels and causing a turnover helping Colquitt complete a 7-0 run. Ponder’s steady procession to the foul line chipped Tift’s lead completely away, the score tied 28-28. With 17 seconds on the clock, the Blue Devils regained command of the scoreboard 30-28 and looked to carry that momentum into the fourth quarter.

And Chris Wade’s club was succeeding at that, starting things with the penetration-dish slam and six-point bulge, 34-28. But not only did the Packers weather that blow, they did a bit better scoring seven straight. Ponder’s 3-pointer came at 6:29, and Walker went end-to-end earning a three-point play at 5:37.

It was Tift’s unforced turnovers that were giving Colquitt ample opportunities, and Scott went to the foul line right after one to register his team’s first lead at 35-34. Scott’s aforementioned baseline jumper made it 37-35 Colquitt, and Zy Brockington stuck a small jumper from Lemeke’s steal. Two times the Packers were up four, the last being 41-37 when Ponder went the full length after stealing an inbound.

The big basket for Tift County was Tyree Marshall’s open 3-pointer. Colquitt had its turnover issues, and the Blue Devils made 5 of their last 6 free throws to get back in front for good.