The Georgia Southwestern women's basketball team gave No. 20 USC
Aiken all they could handle Saturday afternoon at the Storm Dome,
but the Pacers came away with the 71-68 Peach Belt Conference
victory.
GSW (5-7, 0-5 PBC) had six players record double figure outings
led by Jamilah Sharp, who had 13 points and six rebounds.
Brandi Burris added 10 points, Arile Hadley and Whitley Wiltz
chipped in 11 apiece and Brittany Reynolds and Nadirah Gardner each
scored 10 for the Lady Hurricanes..
Satu Leppanen was one of four Pacers in double figures. Meredith
Legg finished with 15 points. Morgan Johnson had 12 points and
Megan Starnes added 11 for USCA.
USC Aiken (12-3, 4-1 PBC) controlled the first 10 minutes of the
game, building a 15 point lead (27-12) with 9:30 to go in the first
stanza. However, Southwestern scored on six of their
following seven possessions to cap a 14-2 run and eventually tied
the contest for the first time at 32-32 with 2:14 left in the first
half.
The Lady Hurricanes took their first lead of the contest under a
minute later at 34-32. A Brittany Reynolds lay-up with 15 seconds
left in the first stanza gave GSW a 38-36 lead at the intermission.
The second half started much the same way that the first half
ended with the Hurricanes continuing to push their lead. Georgia
Southwestern was able to extend its lead to as much as 10 points in
the opening minutes of the second period, taking a 50-40 lead with
just over 16 minutes left in the game.
The Hurricanes were unable to score on three straight trips down
the floor and USCA capitalized, going on an 11-1 run tie the game
at 51-51.
The Pacers took the lead back shortly thereafter at 53-51 after
Leppanen was able to break free on a back door cut and hit an easy
lay-up.
Georgia Southwestern would then go on a 10-3 spurt of their own
to take the lead back at 61-56 with 8:21 left in the contest.
The Pacers would not let the Hurricane lead last, going on a 6-1
run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 62-62. The Pacers
would get the lead back at 64-62 with 4:14 left in the game and
hold from that point forward to earn the three-point victory.
Southwestern had a chance to tie the game at the final buzzer, but
Gardner's three-point attempt hit the back of the rim, giving the
Pacers their fifth straight win.
GSW travels to No. 21-ranked Clayton State on Wednesday.
PICTURED: Jamilah Sharp
PHOTO BY: Chris Fenn
