Blue Devils explode past Lanier County

Dec. 28—TIFTON — Two minutes into the 2nd quarter Thursday, Tift County trailed the Lanier County Bulldogs by an 18-11 score at the McDonald's Tifton Invitational. By the end of the half, however, the Blue Devils had a commanding 12-point lead. The momentum only built from there and Tift earned an easy 64-45 victory.

What changed so quickly for the Devils, who improved to 5-4 on the year?

They rode a side advantage for matchups inside in the 2nd period. That opened up the outside more and key shots fell. On a larger scale, a pair of personnel changes provided plenty of help for the night and going forward.

Head coach Tommy Blackshear gave a start to Jaden Nelson and his lockdown defense slowed down what had been a team of hot Lanier shooters. The other big addition was the return of McKyler Horne, playing his first home game of the season. Horne, who had been out with a hand injury, is the most experienced player on the roster, mixing that with his smarts, steadiness and ability to play anywhere.

Chris Wade's Bulldogs made up for their size with speed early on, finding ways to the basket, though their biggest lead came on a three-pointer by James Clarkson at 6:15 in the 2nd.

Tift worked its back to a tie 2.5 minutes later on an offensive rebound by Kaden Lawson, then went ahead on a fallaway jumper by Malachi Evans 20 seconds later. Their confidence only grew there.

Back-to-back Horne buckets expanded it a six-point advantage at 24-18. Lanier, now ice cold, was helpless to stop the streak.

Through the rest of the half and first three minutes of the 3rd, the Bulldogs were outscored 28-2, their end being a pair of solitary free throws. Tift's defense allowed no shots from the field over a nine-minute stretch. Not only was Lanier's offense not scoring, their early aggressiveness came back to haunt them. Tift took three charges in the 1st half and another in the 2nd.

Lanier's frustration finally spilled over to a technical foul, TeShawn Bryant making both shots with 49 seconds to go. Corey Howard added a last free throw for the 31-19 halftime lead.

Tristan Boone and Bryant drilled threes before Eli North broke Lanier's silence from the field at 4:55. It did not help much. The Devils ran off six more points before Chris Locklear scored. It was a 48-25 game headed to the 4th.

After big dunks by Horne and Lawson, Wade's Bulldogs found a rhythm again in the 4th. Blackshear went to his bench early, but after Locklear pulled Lanier in position for a late run, the starters came back to steady the ship. When the subs came in to finish if off, they had their own big moments, with D.J. Office and James Morris providing late baskets.

Tift got points from 11 players, with a trio in double figures. Boone scored 14 points, with Bryant and Lawson at 10 each. In his return to The Palace, Horne scored 7.

Locklear's 14 and Clarkson's 11 paced Lanier, which lost for only the third time this season.

In other games Thursday, Fitzgerald earned a 71-65 victory against Crisp County. Cook won over Irwin County, 47-36. Cook had a 10-pointe lead at the end of the 1st quarter ... and the 2nd and the 3rd before outscoring the Indians in the 4th, 12-11.