The PBC Women's Basketball Tournament began with a thrilling opening round which included an upset, two four point games and a dominant victory. #1 Seed Columbus State advance following a dominant victory, while #3 North Georgia and #4 Augusta inch past their opponents to advance. The lone upset in this evenings matchups came from #7 GCSU who took down #2 USC Beaufort. #1 seed Columbus State will host the final four teams for the semi finals on Saturday, March 7th. The Cougars will face #4 Augusta at 1:00pm to open the day, followed by #3 North Georgia vs #7 GCSU at 3:30pm.
#1 Columbus State 101-73 #8 Lander
Columbus State Advances After Offensive Showcase Against Lander
COLUMBUS — The Columbus State University Women's Basketball team delivered an explosive offensive performance Wednesday evening, defeating Lander University 101–73 in the quarterfinal round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center.
With the victory, the Lady Cougars improve to 25-3 overall and advance to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Semifinals, where they will host Augusta University on Saturday, March 7, at 1:00 p.m. ET inside the Lumpkin Center.
Columbus State displayed its offensive depth throughout the game, with six players scoring in double figures, and also controlled the interior, outscoring Lander 50-48 in the paint, while forcing 22 turnovers that led to 27 points. After a slow start offensively in the opening quarter, Columbus State quickly found its rhythm in the second period. The Lady Cougars shot 58.8 percent from the floor in the quarter while connecting on 3-of-5 three-point attempts, creating separation heading into halftime. CSU continued to extend its lead in the second half, shooting 50.0 percent in the third quarter and 57.1 percent in the fourth, putting the game out of reach.
Senior guard
Letiya Reeves led Columbus State with 23 points, adding five rebounds, three steals, and two assists in just 23 minutes of action. Reeves shot 9-of-16 from the field while helping pace the Lady Cougars' balanced attack.
Nekaya Williams contributed 19 points and five rebounds, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range.
Samara Saunders added 17 points and six rebounds, going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line, while
Alana Hankerson provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, including three three-pointers.
Aaliyah Ferrell chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds, and
Nadea Smith added 10 points and five rebounds to round out the double-digit scorers.
The Lady Cougars controlled the glass with a 50-45 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 25 second-chance points. Columbus State also pushed the tempo effectively, generating 23 fast-break points while its bench contributed 28 points.
#2 USC Beaufort 68- 78 #7 GCSU
GCSU downs USC Beaufort 78-63 in PBC Quarterfinals
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.
#3 North Georgia 63-59 #6 Clayton State
Nighthawks Advance to PBC Semifinals with Victory Over Clayton State
DAHLONEGA – The No. 3 seed University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team used a dominant first half and timely late scoring to hold off No. 6 seed Clayton State Lakers 63-59 in the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Lynn Cottrell Arena inside the UNG Convocation Center.
North Georgia (19-12) trailed by eight midway through the opening quarter before closing the frame on a 16-2 run fueled by strong perimeter shooting to take an 18-12 lead.
The Nighthawks extended the advantage in the second quarter. A layup by Kendall Emener pushed the lead into double digits, and with 5:44 remaining before halftime, Caroline Martin drained her second 3-pointer of the night to surpass 2,000 career points and give North Georgia a 29-15 lead.
North Georgia pushed the margin to as many as 19 late in the half and carried a 40-23 lead into the break. Clayton State (11-17) responded in the third quarter, holding the Nighthawks to just six points while outscoring them 16-6 to trim the deficit to seven entering the final period. The Lakers continued their rally in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 52 with five minutes remaining. Clayton State took its first lead since the opening quarter with 4:11 left and held a two-point edge with 2:42 to play.
North Georgia answered with a timely 3-pointer from Zaynah Preston to regain the lead, and Averie Jones sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds. Preston led the Nighthawks with 15 points and six rebounds. Jones added 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Tianna Dismuke paced Clayton State with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
North Georgia advances to the PBC semifinals on March 7 and will face Georgia College in Columbus, Georgia.
#4 Augusta 74-70 #5 Middle Georgia
Abercrombie’s Career-High 33 Lifts Augusta Past Middle Georgia in PBC Tournament Quarterfinals
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta opened Peach Belt Conference Tournament play with a win Wednesday, outlasting Middle Georgia 74-70 in the PBC quarterfinals atChristenberry Fieldhouse.
The Jaguars (19-9, 13-7 Peach Belt) move on to the next round of four and will travel to top-seeded Columbus State on Saturday, March 7, in Columbus, Ga.
Augusta got rolling early behind
Quinasia Abercrombie, who buried a three in the opening minute and continued to set the tone offensively. The Jaguars built momentum on both ends, and
Nadiyah Byard provided an instant spark off the bench with a layup late in the first quarter to help Augusta take a 16-13 lead after one. The second quarter belonged to the Jaguars' defense. Middle Georgia managed just six points in the period, as Augusta tightened the paint and forced tough possessions.
Amari Jackson hit a pair of free throws early in the quarter and later added a layup, while Abercrombie finished the half with a strong push in transition to keep Augusta in control. The Jaguars took a 31-19 lead into halftime after holding Middle Georgia to 1-for-13 shooting in the second quarter.
Middle Georgia responded coming out of the break, but Augusta answered every push. Abercrombie knocked down a fast-break three early in the third, and Jackson followed with a layup to keep the advantage comfortable. Sa'Niah Dorseyconnected from deep during the quarter, and Augusta shot 61.5 percent in the third to carry a 54-40 lead into the final 10 minutes. The final quarter turned into a battle. Middle Georgia found rhythm offensively and closed the gap with repeated second-chance opportunities, eventually cutting it to a one-possession game in the final minute. Augusta stayed poised at the line down the stretch, with Elyse Autrey knocking down key free throws in the closing seconds to preserve the win.
Abercrombie led Augusta with a career-high 33 points, going 13-of-20 from the field and 3-of-6 from three. Jackson added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Dorsey finished with seven points, while Autrey dished out six assists and went 5-for-6 at the free throw line. Middle Georgia (17-11, 10-10 Peach Belt) was paced by Mauryah Jones with 20 points and Kristen Foglia with 18. The Knights also received 13 points and 15 rebounds from Kennedi Hawkins. Wednesday's game also featured a special atmosphere at Christenberry Fieldhouse, with the Lucy C. Laney High School Marching Band, the Pride of Augusta, providing in-game entertainment.
Augusta advances to face top-seeded Columbus State on Saturday, March 7, in Columbus, Ga.