Amira Walters-Smith leads the Colquitt County girls in scoring, averaging 17.2 a game, as the Lady Packers prepare to play host to Archer High on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in a first-round state tournament game on the William Bryant Court.

MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County girls led Lowndes by three points with three minutes to play in Thursday’s Region 1-7A tournament championship game, but could not hold off the No. 6-ranked Vikettes.

Lowndes won 47-43 on its home court to claim the title and were to play host to Brookwood, Region 4’s No. 4, team in the first-round of the state tournament.

Despite the loss, the No 9-ranked Lady Packers, with their second-place region finish, were slated to play Archer in a first-round state tournament game on the William Bryant Court on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

The Lady Packers had split their two regular-season games with Lowndes and had a chance late to claim their first region title since 2019.

But the Colquitt girls could not overcome a pair of season-long problems.

“We missed some layups and we didn’t box out,” said Colquitt County coach Rondesha Williams. “All year long, we’ve had trouble making contested layups.

“But it’s always tough playing at Lowndes.”

The game was tied 18-18 at the half, but the Vikettes won the final 16 minutes.

Amira Walters-Smith lead the Lady Packers with 17 points and Jamya Moore added 12 on four 3-pointers.

Amareyia Knighton added eight and D’Zeriyah Polite, Nyleigha Knighton and Amaris Johnson each had two points.

The Lady Packers had upset No. 2-seed Camden County 51-40 on Tuesday to reach the region championship game.

Colquitt had dropped both games to the the Lady Wildcats during the regular season.

“Camden has an aggressive club,” Williams said. “But our girls knew what was at stake.”

 Amareyia Knighton made sure Camden would not make it three straight over the Lady Packers, scoring 29 points and grabbing six rebounds.

Williams said many observers might have counted the Lady Packers out after losses by 25 points to Lowndes and 21 to Camden County in back-to-back region games in mid-January.

“I told the kids we needed to make some adjustments and we did,” she said.

The Colquitt girls took a 22-5 record into the game against Archer.

Walters-Smith leads the Lady Packers in scoring, averaging 17.2 points a game.

Amareyia Knighton averages 13.8; Moore 6.5 and Polite 6.3.

Johnson leads the Lady Packers with 5.6 rebounds a game.

Archer, the No. 3 team from Region 4, is 19-6 overall and was 8-3 in a Region 4-7A that includes 27-0 and top-ranked Grayson.

The Lady Tigers were ranked No. 8 in Class 7A.

“Archer’s pretty good,” said Williams, who got her 300th career victory in the Lady Packers last regular-season game. “But we’ve got a chance against them.”