Visitors from Savannah nip Lady Bobcats
Dec. 21—In a competitive college basketball game with numerous lead changes and momentum swings, visiting Savannah State controlled the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run — including six free throws — and a hustling steal in transition during the final minute of regulation. In all, the home Georgia College & State University Lady Bobcats had 20 turnovers and the Lady Tigers shot 83 percent from the foul line to win 70-65 Monday afternoon at The Centennial Center.
Georgia College's women dropped to 8-3 overall. The 2022 portion of the season isn't over yet for they will join the Bobcat men for the first doubleheader at home on Dec. 29. On that date, Auburn University at Montgomery will come to Milledgeville for non-conference play, and the women's game tips off at 2 p.m.
In the non-conference tilt Monday, Alexa Geary led the Lady Bobcats in scoring with 25 points. She was 4-for-9 shooting 3-pointers and was 7-for-8 at the foul line. Myra Strickland, as part of solid efforts off head coach Ross Jolly's bench, scored 15 points with nine coming on 3-pointers. Starting guard Harper Vick went inside and outside to score 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Savannah State got 21 points from Amari Heard, who was on and off with her shooting from the perimeter, mainly on early and off later. Myasia Jones had 16 points and made six steals and nine rebounds, and Mia Goolsby scored 15 points.
Georgia College started the game with a 3-pointer from Geary, Vick's penetration assist to Dashaun Jackson in the post and backup forward Rose Bone finding Geary on a high-low set. Strickland, off a screen by another reserve forward in Jada Warren, started a personal run of nine points in a row with the Lady Bobcats' first go-ahead 3.
Despite Strickland's hot streak, Savannah State had answers, so when Strickland notched her third trey in a row it was for a tied game at 16-16. Strickland, late in the quarter, took the basketball from the corner baseline for 2. Heard's hot shooting for the Lady Tigers was inside the arc, and she beat the quarter buzzer to put the visitors up 25-20.
Savannah State's biggest lead in the game was nine early in the second quarter as Heard completed an 8-0 run for 29-20. Geary stopped that run, and starting at 7:46 until the half Vick scored five in a row inside and out. But even as Heard was missing the mark, Georgia College was experiencing too many giveaways.
Still, Geary was good on two 3-balls. After she tied the game 34-34 with 1:55 remaining, Strickland made a steal that led to free throws made by Ashyia Willis. In all, the Lady Bobcats scored 10 in a row. But with 30 seconds on the clock, the Lady Tigers' Goolsby sunk a 3 sending the game into the break even at 37-all.
Savannah State was on a 100-point pace in the first quarter, but only had 23 points for the second and third periods combined. Vick was aggressive with her dribble penetration leading to points for herself and Jackson to start the second half. Later in the third quarter, Vick's penetrating led to two more Lady Bobcat scores, Cassidy Markle getting involved this time.
Georgia College led as much as six, 51-45, but the Lady Tigers made it a three-point game, 51-48, heading to the fourth.
With a 3-pointer at 7:43, Geary was the only home player putting points on the board countering Savannah State's production. The 10-0 run for the Lady Tigers started with them trailing 58-54 and whistles becoming more frequent. The game was tied 58-all at 4:34.
The visitors' press was causing most of the Lady Bobcat problems, but trailing 64-60 Georgia College had a great chance with a takeaway at 1:32. However, the hosts would give the basketball back 12 seconds later. At the 48-second mark, Goolsby made the clutch steal under the basket as Georgia College was on the move. Going the other way, Savannah State went up 66-60.
With 8-for-9 foul shooting in the fourth, the Lady Tigers overcame Strickland's late steal and score of an inbound pass to win.
