MOULTRIE – When a basketball game gets into a festival of turnovers towards the end, it helps to be in front.

Colquitt County High’s Lady Packers got behind the Campbell Spartans early in the second half, but was often within two good shots of getting even or perhaps ahead. Problem was being able to get those field goal attempts at the basket before losing hold of the ball. In the last four minutes of regulation, Colquitt had four shots – two in the final 45 seconds – and only one went in. Otherwise, turnovers.

Though they weren’t any better at protecting the basketball, Campbell’s Spartans held on to eliminate the Region 1-7A champion Lady Packers of coach Rondesha Williams 52-45 Thursday on William Bryant Court. Colquitt’s season ends at 22-4, and it was the second year in a row Williams’ girls bowed out in the ‘Sweet 16’ round.

Janiah Ellis, leading scorer all season, had 13 points. Two seniors in their final varsity game also reached double figures, Tionna Hunt scoring 11 and Eriyona Stokes 10.

Campbell was a team that liked to press full court, but it didn’t start giving Colquitt County problems until spots in the second half. The Lady Spartans did open the game with a 6-0 run, Anya Fredrick going to the hoop uncontested for a put-back and her team rushing from one end to another from one of six missed Colquitt free throws.

The host Lady Packers only turned the ball over against the press once in the first period, but opened the game 0-for-4 from the floor. At 4:42, Ellis took a Campbell turnover for one of her three assists in the period. Naia Benefield, a sophomore, cashed this first one in, then Ellis found Hunt open for 3. Campbell went back ahead 10-7, but Hunt stroked a second trey thanks to Ellis’ pass at 2:42.

Ellis and sophomore guard Camille Singletary each made steals in the quarter, which ended with Colquitt slipping ahead 13-12.

In the second quarter, the lead changed hands six times and ended all knotted up. It was practically a clinic in press-breaking by the Lady Packers. One Colquitt advantage of 19-18 was by senior Tim’mya Sanders’ assist against the press to Benefield.

Campbell stuck in three 3-pointers during this quarter, but Stokes answered one of those with her first made basket (a 3) when Ellis saved a possession at mid-court. That tied the game 21-21, then with just over a minute to go Stokes sank a second trey from Sanders’ second assist.

Fredrick of Campbell, the game’s leading scorer with 14 points, converted an inbounds pass for 24-all. That would be the halftime score as Ellis was hit with an offensive foul at the 12-second mark.

The Lady Packers only scored two times from the field in the third quarter, and both were executed against Campbell’s press. Ellis found Benefield, who finished with eight points, at around the six-minute mark giving Colquitt what would be its final lead of the season, 28-26. The Lady Spartans scored four points off turnovers in a 7-0 run snapped by Benefield’s assist to Hunt.

With the score 33-30 in Campbell’s favor, the visitors went on a 7-1 run as turnovers of other varieties starting hurting the Lady Packers. Colquitt missed a lay-up when breaking the press at 2:35, and that was followed by four giveaways in a row. Campbell only got one point as a result, but still lead 38-31 at 1:44. The quarter ended with Campbell’s quick push for 2 to match its biggest lead, nine, 42-33.

Sloppy play, bad shooting plus a huge edge in team fouls worked in Colquitt’s favor to shrink that margin to four, 42-38, at 6:08 and then to three when, from long range, Stokes answered Campbell’s put-back score. Ellis, at 4:08, went down the lane for her team’s last basket to match Campbell’s scramble for a third-chance hoop.

With Ellis’ score, it was 46-43, but the Spartans found their way to the foul line to get back ahead by seven. The Lady Packers couldn’t take advantage of throw-away turnovers, one coming at 1:20 remaining. When the home team got possession with 45 seconds to go, it was 50-45, and two attempts at the goal missed the mark.

Campbell will go on to face No. 1 ranked Collins Hill, which beat Archer 76-35 Wednesday, in next week’s Elite 8.