Pacers Three-Pointers Sink Lady Saints 68-55
DAHLONEGA, GA
– The North Georgia women’s basketball team were unable
to shake off their current four-game losing streak Monday evening,
leading by as much as 16 in the first half before falling 68-55 to
USC Aiken in Peach Belt Conference action.
The Lady Saints fall to 5-8 on the season and move to 1-4 in Peach
Belt Conference action, while the Pacers improve to 8-9 overall and
3-5 in the league.
North Georgia opened the game on a 10-3 run, capped by a layup
from Janyce Ealey with 12:18 remaining in the first half. The Lady
Saints would race out to their largest lead of the game at the 5:15
mark of the first period as Whitney Randolph drained a
three-pointer to give North Georgia a 16-point advantage at
24-8.
USC Aiken would come alive down the stretch as Lindsay Sundberg
knocked down a pair of three-pointers, but North Georgia’s
Ealey had the final word with a trey at the buzzer to give the Lady
Saints a 34-22 lead at intermission.
To open the second half, the Pacers quickly jumped right back into
the game, using a 12-2 run to open the period as Nakia Pinkney hit
a jumper at the 12:42 mark to cap the run and pull USC Aiken to
within a bucket at 36-34.
The Pacers took their first lead of the game just over a minute
later as Pinkney hit one from long range to make it a 39-38 game
with 11:10 remaining. USC Aiken would then take control, scoring 10
straight to jump out to a an 11-point at 51-40 with 7:12
remaining.
USC Aiken continued to extend their lead, pulling out to a
game-high 18-point advantage with under four minutes to play before
holding on for the 13-point road victory.
Randolph led the Lady Saints with 23 points and 14 rebounds to
post the game’s only double-double, while Ieshia Alexander
was the only other North Georgia player in double figures,
finishing with 11 points.
Pinkney paced USC Aiken with 21 points, knocking down five three
pointers, while Catherine Cain and Sundberg each tallied 15 points
in the victory.
North Georgia shot 44.7 percent from the floor, 26.7 percent from
long range, and 69.2 percent from the free throw line, while USCA
was 36.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from behind the arc,
and 71.4 percent from the charity stripe.
North Georgia returns to action on Wednesday evening, hosting long
time rival Georgia Southwestern in Memorial Hall with tip-off
slated for 5:30 p.m. in front of an already sold out crowd of more
than 2,500.