Nicky Jones scored 20 for Tift Friday at Camden County. The two will meet again Tuesday in the region tournament.

TIFTON — Tift County’s Lady Devils ended the regular season with a bang Friday night.

“Now, we have to take care of Tuesday,” said head coach Julie Conner. The Lady Devils are to play Camden County at 6 p.m. in the region tournament, which Tift is hosting.

The Lady Devils defeated Camden County in Kingsland, 67-61, in double overtime. They trailed 27-24 at halftime, before knotting the score 36-all at the end of the third. The teams were tied, 51-51, at the end of regulation and knotted at 58 at the end of the first four-minute overtime period.

“They never let up,” said Conner.

They were clutch as well.

Trailing by three points with time rapidly ticking down, Nicky Jones fired up a shot behind the arc. Jones was fouled on the play and at the free throw line, she sank all three, allowing for the Lady Devils to extend the game.

Jones was nine-of-nine at the free throw stripe, said Conner, and led the team with 20 points. Joslyn Reyes scored 15.

Conner also had high praise for Destiny Johnson’s defensive skills.

“She locked down No. 11 (Patricia Johnson). She was able to contain her.”

The win was a weight off the team’s shoulders. Entering Friday’s contest, they were 0-5 in Region 1 competition.

The Lady Devils exit the regular season with momentum, but if they want a guarantee of being in the Class AAAAAAA state tournament, they will have to do it again.

There are just four teams in Region 1, and the fourth seed out of the region is determined by power ratings. Current standings have not been released for Class AAAAAAA. Though one website, MaxPreps, ranks Tift he 23rd best team in the classification (36 teams go to state), if there are any upsets in other region tournaments, this number is in trouble.

If Tift finishes as the fourth best team in Region 1 and there are upsets in other region tournaments, the Lady Devils’ ranking may potentially be compared against another school who entered region as the second or third best team in their respective conference.

Camden and Tift each won games in the other school’s home gym. In Tifton Jan. 12, the Lady Wildcats took a 54-40 decision.

And despite Tuesday’s game being in Tifton, the Lady Devils are the fourth seed. Camden is the third seed.

“They’ll be wearing white,” she said. Tift will have to wear its navy jerseys.

Conner did keep one piece of home intact. She insisted on having the same bench as usual.

Tuesday’s winner will compete against Colquitt County on Thursday. The Lady Packers finished second in Region 1 after a 53-51 loss against Lowndes Friday. Lowndes, who is 6-0 in the region, won’t play until this Friday.

Conner is not ready to think about that potential matchup yet with Colquitt.

“We’re going to take it day by day,” she said.

Tift-Camden is the first of two games that will be played Tuesday. Following their contest, Camden’s boys meet Colquitt County. Camden (0-6 in region play) is the fourth seed, Colquitt (2-4) the third. The Packers had been hopeful for a second seed, but lost to Lowndes Friday night, 79-77.

Lowndes (4-2) will meet the Colquitt-Camden boys winner Thursday. Tift County (6-0) will play that winner Friday night for the region title.