ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. | Deshona Gaither, Hannah Cail, Ashyia Willis, and Evie DePetro all tallied double-digit points as Georgia College & State University fell just short against Flagler College 87-84 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Saturday (Jan. 11) afternoon inside Flagler Gymnasium.
The Bobcats lost their second conference match in a row, falling to 8-6 and 1-3, while the Saints improved to 6-7 and 2-2. GCSU looks to bounce back in a Peach Belt midweek contest against the University of South Carolina-Beaufort on Wednesday (Jan. 15) at 5:30 p.m. in Bluffton, South Carolina.
GCSU and Flagler traded leads throughout the first quarter, with a last-second layup by Gaither tying everything up at 18. The score would stay tight throughout the opening minutes of the second quarter until a 15-7 run by the Saints capped off by a Destiny McClendon three-pointer would provide Flagler with a 40-31 lead. However, fouls would begin to pile up for the Saints, gifting Georgia College eight free throw opportunities, almost entirely erasing the Flagler lead, keeping the score close heading into the half at 43-39.
The contest also stayed close throughout the third quarter. Whenever it seemed the Saints would pull away, the Bobcats clawed their way back into the game. However, an Aspen Weeks jumper late into the quarter would provide Flagler with their largest lead of the match at 10 points (62-52). Nevertheless, Cail and DePetro would knock down back-to-back three-pointers, and Jada Warren would collect a quick layup soon after to make things a four-point game.
Heading into the final 10 minutes, the Bobcats were down by eight (70-62). Scoring would not come easy in the quarter, but the Bobcats would have the opportunity to tie things up after Nylah Nuri's two free throws put Georgia College within two (79-77) wirh 64 seconds remaining. Flagler hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final minute to quell the Bobcat threat.
Gaither accumulated 20 points in the contest, setting a new career high and leading the Bobcats in the category while collecting four steals on the day, as well. Cail added 14 points, while DePetro and Willis each finished with 12. Warren would once again lead the team in the rebound game, collecting 14, while Miracle Parker, would come within one point (9) and one rebound (9) of a double-double. Willis would lead the Bobcats in assists on the day with five.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
