VALDOSTA — Tift County’s Blue Devils fell to Lowndes in overtime Thursday in the Region 1-6A semifinals, 53-42. The loss knocks Tift into the consolation game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday against Colquitt, plus it means Tift will be on the road for the first round of next week’s state tournament.

It was a typical defensive game between the two schools in the opener.

Lowndes free throws made for a 29-29 game going into the fourth.

With two minutes left, the Vikings had a 38-33 lead. That advantage slipped away in a hurry.

At 1:31, Tift’s Cordell Nelson went to the free throw line, where he sank his first. He missed the second, but J.J. Lamar boxed out perfectly for an offensive rebound and score to make it 38-36.

On the other end, Ben Hill came up with a steal and fed Lamar to tie with it with 59 seconds left. Lowndes loss the ball during the inbounds, but got it back on a Wyatt Ferguson steal.

Isaiah Camon made a jumper with 33 seconds to go to put the Vikings back ahead, 40-38, but here came Lamar again with eight seconds on the clock to tie it up. Kaden Lawson blocked a Lowndes shot at the buzzer.

Camon began overtime with a three-pointer and Tift’s magic ran out there.

Lowndes was led by Jackson’s 20 points and Isaiah Camon and Ferguson each scored 8. Lamar had 29 big points for the Blue Devils with Nelson adding 7.