MOULTRIE – Bainbridge trailed Colquitt County by two points with 6.2 seconds remaining when it inbounded the ball under Lady Packers basket with a chance to tie or win on Tuesday on the William Bryant Court.

But the Lady Cats were unable to get a shot off against the  Lady Packer defense and the Colquitt girls escaped with a 37-35 victory.

Gracie Belle Paulk hit two free throws with 24.3 seconds left to break a 35-35 tie and give the Lady Packers the lead they tenaciously defended the rest of the way.

The victory gives the Colquitt County girls an 8-7 record as they prepare to play host to Lowndes at 6 p.m. Friday in a Region 1-7A contest.

The Vikettes are 11-4 overall and, like the Lady Packers, are 1-1 in region games.

Lowndes won eight of its first nine games, but have split their last six.

“They are big and they’ve got a guard,” Lady Packers coach Rondesha Williams said. “We are going to have to focus.”

Colquitt has now defeated Bainbridge twice this season, but the Lady Packers have struggled of late and had lost three of their previous four games before Tuesday.

“We are in a bad funk,” Williams said. “We are going to have to figure some things out and play aggressive (against Lowndes).”

Colquitt scored just 21 points in the first half, including 12 by Amareyia Knighton, but led by six.

Bainbridge scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a 22-21 lead, but a 3-pointer by Carliss Johnson got the Lady Packers back on track and they led by four heading into the final quarter.

D’Zeriyah Polite hit a pair of free throws to quickly put the Lady Packers up by six, but the Lady Cats got on another short run to take a 34-33 lead with 1:41 remaining.

A running layup by Jamya Moore that bounced high up off the glass before falling through gave Colquitt a one-point lead with 1:20 left.

Bainbridge had a chance to regain the lead with 36.4 seconds left, but made only one of two free throws.

Twelve seconds later, Paulk, the senior post player, made both of her free throws and Colquitt held on for the win.

When the two teams met in Bainbridge last month, the Lady Packers won by three, 46-43.

Knighton led the Lady Packers on Tuesday with 13 points.

Paulk had nine; Polite and Johnson each had six; Moore had her crucial two; and Heaven Robinson added a free throw.

And although she didn’t score, Ameris Johnson earned Williams’s praise for her work on both ends of the court.

“She is really stepping up for us,” Williams said. “She is enjoying playing basketball. You can tell it by her body language.”

Taralyn Brown, the 5-foot-11 post player, led Bainbridge with 13 points.

The Lady Bearcats fall to 14-6.

The Colquitt County boys fell at Camden County 55-39 on Tuesday to drop to 6-10 overall and 1-1 in the region.

After playing host to Lowndes on Friday, Colquitt will be home again on Saturday to play a pair of games against Monroe.