MOULTRIE – Down 14-0 early and 18-4 at the end of the first quarter in which it shot just 7 percent from the field, the Colquitt County girls basketball team eventually rallied to tie the game at 45-45 before falling 49-48 at Valdosta in the season-opener on Tuesday.

The Valdosta boys completed the sweep with 80-54 win in Tuesday’s second game.

The Colquitt County boys were down 21-7 at the end of the first quarter and could not mount a comeback.

The Wildcats had five players who scored in double-digits.

The Packers will play next at 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Spencer in the Columbus tournament.

The Colquitt County girls made some defensive adjustments and continued to play hard to cut their deficit to nine at halftime before getting a tie late in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Wildcats got the victory with a score with two seconds remaining.

Colquitt outscored Valdosta 22-12 in the fourth quarter.

“We could have quit,” Lady Packers coach Rondesha Williams said. “But we kept fighting.

“We played with a lot of heart against what is legitimately a good team. And Carliss kept picking them up.”

Reigning Region 1-7A co-Player of the Year Carliss Johnson led the Lady Packers with 26 points and continued to be a leader on the court.

In her first varsity game, freshman Amareyia Knighton scored 13 points.

D’Zeriyah Polite scored four; Heaven Robinson and Jamya Moore each had three; and Nyleigha Knighton had two.

The Lady Packers will meet Brookwood School of Thomasville at 6 p.m. Thursday on the William Bryant Court.

The Colquitt girls also will play Northside of Columbus at 8 p.m. Friday in Columbus.