Cochran, Ga. | Georgia College & State University came up one point short, falling 56-55 to Middle Georgia State University in a Peach Belt Conference women's basketball matchup Wednesday (Jan. 28) evening at Morris Gymnasium.
The Knights improved to 13-6 overall and 6-6 in Peach Belt play while the Bobcats fell to 7-13 overall and 3-9 in conference play. GCSU will be back in action Wednesday (Feb. 4) evening in Bluffton, S.C. when it faces the University of South Carolina-Beaufort at 5:30 p.m.
Freshman
Caroline Beavin sparked the Bobcats early, scoring their first six points on back-to-back three pointers. Middle Georgia went on to build a 10-point lead early in the second quarter behind a pair of jumpers from Kristen Foglia.
After a three minute scoring drought for both teams, a Middle Georgia free throw broke the silence before baskets from
Nylah Nuri, Beavin and
Natalia Bolden helped bring the Bobcats within five heading into the break.
The second half remained competitive as balanced scoring helped the Bobcats keep the game close. A couple of baskets from Bolden and timely points from
Bailey Vick and Nuri cut the lead to two early in the fourth quarter.
The Knights pushed their lead back to double digits, but GCSU continued to fight.
Deshona Gaither knocked down three clutch baskets down the stretch to pull the Bobcats within three, and Bolden added a basket at the buzzer, but it wasn't enough to secure the win.
Beavin led GCSU in scoring with 14 points, and Gaither followed closely behind with 13. Bolden added 10 points of her own and grabbed nine rebounds.
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six 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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