TIFTON – Two more wins for Tift County High varsity basketball teams Saturday night, with one especially welcomed.

Tift’s Lady Devils won 61-44 over Fitzgerald. Head coach Julie Conner-Johnson said it was one they needed after a rough week. Tift fell Tuesday at Westover and Friday at Sumter County to drop to 2-5 on the year.

They weren’t stressed long with Fitzgerald.

Mackenzie Holliday rebounded a short shot from a teammate and turned it into an assist, putting Tift ahead 6-5 at 3:43 in the first quarter. That turned into an 11-0 run over the next 100 seconds which saw both Jalaya Miller and Jaziyah Johnson knock down three-pointers.

Fitzgerald caught a break when Gabby Carter was fouled attempting a three as time expired. She made two of the free shots to draw to 18-10, but the Lady Devils were off to the races again in the second, scoring 18 of the first 20 points.

Johnson had back-to-back three-point plays in the period, one a traditional shot from behind the arc, but the other came when she was fouled on a made basket. Ashanti Dixon came off the bench for two baskets and help out on the boards. After ending the first being fouled behind the line, Carter had a four-point play to complete the half – a three-pointer plus foul shot with 52 seconds left.

Fitzgerald hung around in the third, courtesy of triples by Kianta McDuffie and Chanyell Jones. Tift stayed comfortably in the lead, however, with Johnson continuing to be red hot. Johnson had three threes after intermission and 23 points total.

Holliday and Miller added 11 points apiece for the Lady Devils. Carter had 12 for Fitzgerald with Jones adding 11.

DEVILS 44, FITZGERALD 36

The contest was close for a half, moved into Blue Devils blowout territory in the third, then finished extremely close again.

Tift began the fourth quarter with a 36-21 lead. They needed nearly all of it to stay ahead.

Two big blocks started the frame, but the Purple Hurricane began to rally. Jeffery Hicks had six points and Fitzgerald chipped away more with free throws. With two minutes remaining it was 36-29 and Tift had yet to score in the frame.

Jay White made a free throw for the locals, but Hicks drained a trey and at 1:37 it was 37-32.

Rio Brewton pushed the lead to eight on a three point play, then Jason Ferguson and Hicks scored with seconds of one another with turnovers caused on a press. The score was down to 40-36 with 42 seconds to go.

Fitzgerald forced another turnover on the press, but were denied at the rim by Kaden Lawson. J.J. Lamar caught the rebound and was fouled. Lamar made both shots with 29 seconds on the clock for a 42-36 advantage. On the other end of the floor Lamar intercepted a pass and added another free shot to put the visitors away.

The Blue Devils needed nearly half the first period to score their first points, but fortunately the Canes only had a 4-0 lead when Quay Bell netted Tift’s first basket. Antwan Doctor gave Fitzgerald its biggest advantage at 9-4 before a dunk by Cordell Nelson got the Devils headed in the right direction.

Lawson put Tift ahead for good with another slam, this one off a loose ball under the basket. White banked in a three near the end of the half and the Blue Devils were ahead 21-16 at the break.

Midway through the third it was 27-21, Devils, before they ended the frame on a 9-0 run.

Lamar finished the night with 9 points to lead Tift County scoring. Brewton and Nelson each scored 7. Hicks led Fitzgerald with 16. Ferguson added 9.

Tift teams will host Northside of Warner Robins Tuesday. They swept Eagles teams on the road earlier in the season.