Carson Bryan gets back on defense after hitting the game-winning free throws against Deerfield-Windsor Tuesday. Shaunteria Taylor had tied the contest on a drive to the basket and seconds later, Bryan stole the inbounds pass. She was fouled with 0.3 left on the clock and made both free throw attempts.

CHULA – Carson Bryan was at the right place at the right time for Tiftarea Academy Tuesday night.

“She sure was,” said Bryan’s head coach Amy Strenth.

Five seconds after Shaunteria Taylor flipped in a shot under the basket, tying the game 48-48, Bryan snagged Deerfield-Windsor’s inbounds pass.

Bryan missed a close-range shot, but was fouled in the process. Deerfield attempted to ice her with a timeout, but with just 0.3 showing on the clock, Bryan made both free throws.

Deerfield-Windsor could not get a shot off after Bryan’s second toss and Tiftarea won in overtime, 50-48.

The Panthers dropped a 74-61 contest to Deerfield-Windsor in the nightcap. Weeks earlier in Albany, Deerfield had been 77-34 winners.

The visiting Lady Knights had forced overtime on Lila Lanier’s basket with two seconds left in regulation. That knotted the score at 38-all.

Both teams went on the offensive in the extra session.

Destiny Reed started overtime with a bucket, then Taylor tied it on an offensive rebound. Rachel Bonner converted a steal for Deerfield to go back ahead, which they increased to 43-40 on a free throw at 2:30.

Peyton Matt got Tiftarea back to 43-42, but two more Lady Knights free throws gave them a 45-42 lead with 53 seconds remaining.

Matt scored again on a Bryan assist before Jamia Lofton’s single free shot with 38 seconds left made it 46-44, Deerfield.

Bryan tied the score, 46-46, with 25 seconds left. Instead of playing for the last shot, Deerfield went ahead with 15 seconds to go on Rachel Bonner’s basket. That set up the final winning sequence for Tiftarea.

The Lady Panthers had a 16-9 lead after the first quarter, thanks in part to eight points from Abby Carswell.

“Abby was strong inside,” said Strenth.

Deerfield-Windsor fought back with 18 second quarter points and with Taylor in foul trouble, were ahead 27-22 at the break.

Tiftarea held the Lady Knights to five points in the third, but gained only a bit of ground as they made only seven, five of them on free throws.

Taylor picked up a fourth foul in the second half, but able to make it to the end. She scored 17 to lead Tiftarea. Carswell had 10 and Bryan had eight, four in overtime.

Lanier’s 11 led a trio of double-digit scorers for the Lady Knights; Reed and Bonner each had 10.

KNIGHTS 74, TIFTAREA 61

In their January meeting, Deerfield-Windsor had a 41-13 halftime lead, then extended that to nearly 50 points after three quarters.

Much to the home crowd’s delight, the rematch was 32-32 at halftime. A third quarter surge gave Deerfield a comfortable lead, but the Knights were never able to run away.

Tiftarea cut the margin to 10 points with 1:54 remaining, but the Knights were able to convert free throws down the stretch for the final score.

“I’m pleased with the effort,” said Tiftarea head coach Mike Patrick. “I believed we had a chance,” he said of when they were able to get the gap to 67-57 in the fourth.

The Knights jumped out 5-0 and 7-3, but soon realized this was not the same Tiftarea team they saw in Albany.

Cain Cooper scored on an inbounds pass, getting the Panthers to 9-6 and at 1:38 in the quarter, it was 14-14 on Carter Stewart’s basket.

Riley Mims passed to Casen Royal on a three-pointer for a 17-14 Tiftarea lead, which grew to five points at the quarter’s end on a short Spence Massey jumper.

The Knights’ big weapon was center Daniel Ramsey, who Tiftarea kept at bay for a half. They frequently surrounded the big man under the hoop and guessed right to beat him to several rebounds.

Ramsey had three baskets to start the second frame, but the Panthers had an answer for each. Brandon Mullis had three buckets of his own, the latter of which at 3:13 gave the Panthers their largest lead at 31-22.

Deerfield-Windsor responded with a 10-1 run to end the half, but only had the 32-32 tie because of a Massey free throw.

Ronald Bates gave the Knights the lead for good when he opened the third period with a basket. Deerfield scored the first six points of the quarter. Cooper broke the streak with a three-pointer, but the visitors went on to score 14 of the game’s next 17 points.

Ethan Merritt got an assist from Ramsey to make the game 52-38 at 3:29, but Tiftarea was not ready to fold.

Massey, Bo Cunningham and Noah Copeland ended the period with baskets and Tiftarea went into the fourth within striking distance at 55-44.

The Knights came closest to a runaway midway through the fourth when Merritt pushed the advantage to 67-49.

Mullis then started a Panthers run which got the score to 67-57 when Mims buried a three-ball at 1:54.

Force to foul with time running out, the Panthers were able to get Deerfield to the free throw line, but the Knights hit four of five shots to get to 14 points ahead.

Mims and Cooper each had 14 points for Tiftarea. Ramsey had 22, Merritt, 21, and Raj Patel, 11, for Deerfield-Windsor.

Tuesday’s contests wrapped up the regular season for Tiftarea.

Patrick said the Panthers will play Tuesday against Brookwood School, but the location will not be determined until Friday.

If Southland defeats Brookwood, the game will be in Chula. If Brookwood wins, the Warriors will be the hosts.

The Lady Panthers won’t play until Feb. 15.

The main part of the region tournament will be at Georgia Southwestern.