Huffin sets record; Ladies in third

      The GCSU women’s basketball team went into the holiday break with a 6-2 record, 1-1 in the Peach Belt Conference, and looked well-prepared for the remainder of the season. 
    After four games since returning to the court, it is not yet clear where this Lady Bobcats team stacks up in the conference.  They went 2-2 in those games, including a tough loss to a highly-ranked Valdosta State University team and two hard-fought wins that took all forty minutes to obtain.
    In the Valdosta game on Jan. 5, the team’s first after a three-week layoff, the Lady Bobcats came out ready to play against a strong opponent on the road.  The team showed its balance, as five players scored in double digits.  Freshman guard Dominique Huffin paced the Lady Bobcats with 19, and senior forward Ashley Williams snagged eight rebounds.
    “It is hard as a either a player or coach to re-gear yourself after that type of break,” Coach John Carrick said.  “But I was proud of the girls keeping themselves focused and in shape.”
    “As a player, I’d rather just play through it, not have the break,” William said.
    Smaller conferences, like the PBC, schedule the games around academic breaks because the schools not only place more emphasis on academics over athletics, but realize that the student body would not turn out to games scheduled over a long break.
    The Lady Bobcats’ next game against North Georgia College and State University, the first at home for the team in 2008, ended in dramatic fashion.  A last-second jumper by freshman point guard Jessica Baker clinched a 75-73 victory and a much-needed conference win for GCSU. 
    Williams led the team in scoring with 16 points, and missed a double-double by a single rebound.  Redshirt junior Emily Bixler also needed one rebound for a double-double, and finished with 14 points.
    The Jan. 12 game at home against Lander University was a case of good news, bad news for the Lady Bobcats.  The team lost on the scoreboard, falling 107-97 to the Lady Bearcats, but may have found a star for the next three years.
    Huffin went off for 41 points on 15 of 22 shooting, including eight of 12 three-pointers.  The point total was a new Centennial Center record, for both men’s and women’s basketball, and overshadowed an outstanding game from Williams, who posted her fifth double-double of the season with ten points and 12 rebounds.
    Armstrong Atlantic State University came to the Centennial Center on Jan. 16 for the third straight PBC matchup for the Lady Bobcats.  The remainder of the season consists of conference games, leading up to the PBC tournament in March.
    The Lady Bobcats dominated early, and it looked like they would run away with the game, leading by 12 at halftime.  The Lady Pirates were resilient, however, and made a strong run in the second half, even taking the lead four times before GCSU took control again in the final five minutes.
    “To be honest, I never expected to hold that lead against a good team like (AASU), they’re just too good,” said Carrick.  “My hope was that we could come back and play strong after they made their run.”
    The coach got his wish, and the team came away with a solid win over a team that previously had a better conference mark than the Lady Bobcats.
    After this game, GCSU sits third in the PBC behind strong Lander and Francis Marion teams.  The Lady Bobcats must keep the intensity high, because they actually share third place with Columbus State University at 3-2, and five teams are only a half game back at 3-3 in the PBC. 
    The Lady Bobcats can continue to roll with good teamwork. A close PBC race should make for a good tournament.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 18 2008. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry