TAKING A SHOT: A Houston defender towers over Makala Horne, but Horne finds a way to score, going under and around for points in the paint.

TIFTON — Makala Horne gets all the thanks for Tift County basketball fans being able to see this week’s Region 1-6A semifinals and finals in their own home gym.

Semifinals are Thursday, with consolation games and championships Friday at The Palace.

This year’s host is the No. 1 girls team in the region, which happens to be Tift. The Lady Devils tied with Veterans at the top of the standings, each 9-1. However, the tiebreaker was who had the bigger margin of victory.

Tift won at home by 11 points and Veterans was leading the Lady Devils by 11 late in the contest in Kathleen. Horne came through with a basket. Tift only fell by nine points, ensuring the tournament is on home hardwood.

Before the last two rounds, four play-in games take place Tuesday at Thomas County Central.

Tift’s Blue Devils will compete against Thomas County Central in the late play-in game. The winner will advance to the state tournament. The winner will play 1-6A No. 1 Lee County Thursday.

Houston County, the No. 2 boys team, will take on either Veterans or Northside in the semifinal.

The Lady Devils will see either Houston County or Lee County in the semifinal. Houston is 4-6 in the region to Lee’s 2-8. Tift defeated both handily in four regular season games.

Veterans, the No. 2, will take on either Thomas County Central or Northside.

The semifinals begin at 4 p.m. Thursday with the Veterans girls playing. The Houston boys take on their opponent at 5:30. Tift’s girls play at about 7 p.m., with the Lee boys in the main event.

Friday’s consolation games begin at 4 p.m., with finals at about 7 p.m.

All four girls and all four boys teams in Tifton will play in the Class 6A tournament next week. The top two seeds host their first round games.