BLUFFTON, S.C. | A dominant second half lifted Georgia College & State University women's basketball team over the University of South Carolina Beaufort 78-63 in a Peach Belt Conference quarterfinal matchup Wednesday (Mar. 4) evening in Bluffton, S.C.
The Bobcats, who are the No. 7 seed, improved to 13-16 overall, while the No. 2-seeded Sand Sharks fell to 18-10 overall record and await word Sunday (March 8) on a possible trip to the NCAA Division II tournament. GCSU will face the No. 3 seed University of North Georgia, which defeated Clayton State University 63-59 in its quarterfinal, Saturday (Mar. 7) in 3:30 p.m. semifinal contest at the Lumpkin Center on the Columbus State University campus.
USCB came out sharp, shooting 60 percent in the opening quarter and building a 20-14 lead after one. Senior
Deshona Gaither helped the Bobcats stay close, scoring nine points this period.
GCSU settled in during the second quarter. After trailing by six, the Bobcats started to knock down shots from the perimeter. Guard
Nylah Nuri sparked the surge with a three pointer halfway through the quarter, and freshman guard
Sloane Vick followed with another triple to trim the deficit to two.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from
Sloane Vick tied the game at 29 with 1:48 left in the half, and
Bailey Vick gave the Bobcats their first lead since the opening quarter with a three pointer at the 0:56 mark. Then at the end of the quarter, she scored a layup with three seconds left, giving GCSU the 34-33 advantage at the break.
Deshona Gaither scored 12 points in the third quarter to help the Bobcats outscore USCB 25-14.
Nylah Nuri added a steal and fast-break layup as GCSU extended the lead to double digits halfway through the quarter, then later on knocked down an and-one three pointer to add on. The Bobcats led 59-47 heading into the fourth.
The Sand Sharks never got closer than 10 points in the final period. GCSU had an answer for every move Beaufort attempted — including a
Bailey Vick 3-pointer with 5:41 left that stretched their lead to 14.
Gaither finished with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Nuri added 17 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night, while
Caroline Beavin chipped in 10. GCSU shot 51.8 percent from the floor to secure its spot in the PBC semifinals.
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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