KINGSLAND – The Colquitt County girls’ Region 1-6A tournament run ended on Friday with a disappointing 51-39 championship game loss to Lowndes.
But the region runner-up Lady Packers still have at least one more game to play in front of their vocal home fans.
Colquitt will open Class 6A state tournament play on Tuesday against Woodstock’s Etowah High, the No. 3 team from Region 5, on the William Bryant Court.
The Eagles will bring a 20-8 record to the Hawgnasium.
The tipoff time has been determined.
The Lady Packers are 17-8 and four of those losses have been at the hands of the Vikettes.
Colquitt, the No. 4 seed, opened the region tournament on Monday by eliminating No. 5 Tift County 56-45 in Moultrie.
On Wednesday, the Lady Packers pulled the tournament’s big upset, knocking off top-seeded Camden County 50-45 on the Lady Wildcats’ home court in Kingsland.
But playing their third game in five days and making their second 145-mile trip to Kingsland in three days, Colquitt could not pull off a second tournament upset despite leading at the half.
Lowndes, the No. 2 seed, managed just 17 points in the first two quarters and trailed by two at the break.
But led by Aryana Thomas, the Vikettes scored 16 points in the third quarter and 18 in the fourth to claim the region tournament title.
Held to just a free throw in the first two quarters, Thomas scored 15 points in the second half, including 12 on four 3-pointers.
“She got hot,” Lady Packers coach Stephanie Cody said.
Colquitt trailed by just a point heading into the fourth quarter, but then scored just eight points.
Lowndes defeated the Colquitt girls by 33 and 27 in their first two meetings this season before holding on for a five-point win on January 31, in Moultrie.
The Lady Packers had the Vikettes on the ropes again on Friday, but could not mount a comeback in the fourth quarter.
“The score does not tell the story of the game,” Cody said. “We played well. I think fatigue set in at the end.”
Lowndes also got 13 points from Kaci Demps and 12 from Kayla Jackson.
Amira Walters-Smith and Amareyia Knighton each had 13 for the Lady Packers,
Nacardia Robinson scored eight and Caylnn Singletary added a 3-pointer.
“We had them right there, then they just put a dagger in our hearts,” Cody said. “But I’m still proud of my girls. We’re going to lick our wounds and keep going.”