KINGSLAND – The Colquitt County girls turned in perhaps their best defensive effort of the season on Wednesday and it resulted in a trip to the Region 1-6A tournament championship game.
The No. 4-seeded Lady Packers defeated top-seed Camden County 50-45 on the Lady Wildcats home court and earned a berth in Friday’s 7 p.m. championship game against Lowndes.
The victory also was significant in that regardless how the 17-7 Lady Packers fare against the 19-5 Vikettes on Friday, they are guaranteed a first-round state playoff game at home on the William Bryant Court.
The girls state tournament is scheduled to begin Tuesday, February 18.
The Colquitt girls had dropped their regular-season games to the Lady Wildcats 51-44 and 55-44.
But Camden managed just three points in the second quarter and nine in the third as Colquitt pulled off the big upset.
“We executed our game plan,” a hoarse coach Stephanie Cody said after the game. “I told them we had to work hard in the lane and box out on both ends of the court. We had to deny the ball to their post player. And we did.
“It was a total team effort.”
Colquitt held Camden post player Tytionna Scott to just four points, all of which came on a basket and two free throws in the third quarter.
Scott, who scored 19 points when Camden hosted Colquitt on January 3 and 12 when the Lady Wildcats won in Moultrie, was held scoreless in the other three quarters.
“Everybody made a concerted effort on defense,” Cody said.
And the Lady Packers were able to win despite Amira Walters-Smith, who averages 19.7 points a game, being held to just eight points.
But she still was a prime factor in the game, dishing off to open teammates when she drove the lane.
“She was the pure point guard tonight,” Cody said of her All-State shooting guard. “She was dropping it off to anyone who was free.”
Amareyia Knighton led the Lady Packers with 15 points, including seven in the fourth quarter to help thwart a late Camden rally on its home court.
Sophomore post player Nacardia Robinson had her second-straight strong tournament performance, scoring 10 points.
She had 19 in the play-in victory over Tift County on Monday.
Ta’Meria Williams had eight, Caylnn Singltary scored seven and Kamya Thomas had two.
The Lady Packers were able to play with energy despite having made the 145-mile, three-hour-plus bus trip to Kingsland earlier in the day.
But they will have to do it again on Friday to face Lowndes.
Colquitt has lost to the Vikettes three times this season, twice in region games and once in the Lee County Girls Showcase in December.
The Lady Packers made a run at the Vikettes when the two teams met in Hawgnasium on January 31, before falling 54-49.
Camden County will now have to face Richmond Hill in
Friday’s 5:30 p.m. tournament consolation game to determine the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds to the state tournament.