TROUBLE: Trouble brews for Riverwood as Caitlyn Burgess and Jalaya Miller trap Audrey Busch in the backcourt and Burgess has a fingertip on the basketball.

TIFTON — Tift County’s Lady Devils opened the Class 6A state basketball playoffs like a tidal wave Tuesday night, splintering visiting Riverwood, 64-22 at The Palace.

The Region 1-6A champions, now 24-4 for the season, will be back home Friday night to take on Glynn Academy in the second round. No time has been set yet. Glynn (17-11) won their first round game over Morrow, 63-59, to advance.

Riverwood scored 10 of their 22 points in the 1st quarter. They trailed 19-10 after those initial eight minutes and it never got any easier for the visitors from Sandy Springs.

Tift’s halftime advantage was already substantial at 31-12, but a whirlwind of a 3rd quarter left no doubt.

The Lady Devils outscored Riverwood 28-9 in the period, but how they did it was arguably even more impressive. A press defense that has been as quick as a tornado and as thick as fog descended upon the Lady Raiders.

Tift had not used the press as much in the 2nd period, but it was back again here. Riverwood turned the ball over eight times directly because of its pressure and many more indirectly and was coupled with a defensive strategy head coach Julie Conner-Johnson credited to assistant Ricky Frambo.

On Frambo’s advice, she said the Lady Devils installed a box-and-one defense on Lizzie McGrath. That effectively limited McGrath’s jump shot abilities and had the bonus of letting her create opportunities for other players.

“We were trying to get to [McGrath] and leaving [May Weis] open,” said Conner-Johnson

That meant Weis, who had six points in the post in the 1st half, was limited to a single score on an offensive rebound in the 2nd.

Aided by four turnovers caused by the press, the Lady Devils began the 3rd frame with an 18-2 run. Riverwood struggled to keep up with the much more athletic Tift crew, especially in the paint. Tift drove the lane at will.

Twice during the run and three times in the third, Tift had an “and one” when a player was fouled on a drive to the hoop, coming from Caitlyn Burgess, Jalaiah Rainey and Makayla Bryant. When McGrath broke a three minute drought, the Lady Devils were firmly into mercy rule territory at 49-16.

Burgess scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter alone, 16 for the game. Jimmya Cushion, getting nearer and nearer to 1,000 for her career, netted 22 points, the same as Riverwood.

With the Lady Devils ahead 59-21 through three periods, the 4th quarter was shortened to six minutes. Cushion hit a 3-pointer before exited. Rainey had another “and one” opportunity after going coast to coast on a steal.

The night started similarly miserable for the Lady Raiders.

Jalaya Miller scored off the opening tip and the visitors had a turnover before even getting the ball in for the first time. Halfway through the quarter, they had more turnovers off the press than shot attempts.

Thanks to Bryant’s passes, Cushion caused havoc inside and outside the paint for the Lady Raiders. She scored 11 points in the frame, many of them layups on outlet passes.

Tift did not need to shoot much outside during the game, though Rainey and Cushion both landed shots from behind the arc in the 2nd. Riverwood went the last 5:15 of the half without points.

Besides the points totals for Burgess and Cushion, Miller joined them in double figures with 11 points.

McGrath scored 9 for Riverwood, with Weis at 8. Only two other Lady Raiders scored for the game. Riverwood had but one field goal over the last 8.5 minutes.