MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Hannah Cail and
Evie DePetro each scored 14 points to lead a balanced attack as Georgia College & State University took down the University of South Carolina-Beaufort 68-61 in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball game Wednesday (Feb. 12) evening match-up inside the Centennial Center.
The Bobcats won their third in a row and improved to 14-9 overall and to 7-6 in the PBC, while the Sand Sharks fell to 5-15 and 3-9. GCSU begins a two-game road trip, traveling first to Greenwood, South Carolina, to battle Lander University on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 1:30 p.m. in Finis Horne Arena.
Both teams kept things close to open the contest, with the Bobcats opening up with a layup from
Deshona Gaither and jumpers from Cail and
Miracle Parker. However, Briele Bartelt answered quickly with a three-pointer, and Brianna Pelote gave the Sand Sharks their first lead. GCSU tied things up with a little under a minute remaining and kept things knotted at 13.
USCB ripped off a 14-3 run to open the second quarter, fueled by three-pointers by Taniyah Bowman and Bartelt, to lead 27-15. GCSU chipped at the deficit before heading into the lockers via two-pointers from Cail, Parker, and Ashiya Willis, but they entered the half down eight (29-21).
The Sand Sharks brought their lead up to 15 (43-28) at the 6:31 mark of the third quarter after another three-pointer by Bartelt. However, five successive free throws from DePetro and Cail, followed by a three-pointer by DePetro, to give the Bobcats an 11-0 run over the next two minutes to pull within four points (42-39). Gaither made a late-quarter three-pointer that brought the deficit to two points (47-45) heading to the fourth.
A tip-in by Willis and Gaither to begin the quarter gave the Bobcats their lead back, and a newfound Bobcats offense poured it on in the final 10 minutes, sporting a 10-point lead (68-58) after Parker sank two free throws with 42 seconds remaining.
Willis (13) and Gaither (11) also finished in double figures for the Bobcats.
Jada Warren led GCSU with 15 rebounds, while Parker followed that with 11 of her own as the Bobcats dominated on the glass 50-27.
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
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