“Smitty” passes into history

    February has been tough on the GCSU women’s basketball team.  The Lady Bobcats have lost five of six games this month, including their last four.
    Their coach, John Carrick, believes in his squad and appreciates their effort.
    “I really like this team,” Carrick said.  “They will battle, and a bad half or even one bad game does not make the season.”
    The last win for GCSU came on Feb. 4 at home against the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  The team then hit the road for a pivotal three-game stretch against teams just above them in the Peach Belt Conference.
    On Feb. 6, they faced the Lady Saints of North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega.  The Lady Bobcats fought valiantly but would come away with an 82-75 loss.
    Freshman guard Dominique Huffin led the way with 24 points, including five-of-six from behind the arc. 
    Huffin has shown in a few games this season that she has the ability to light up the scoreboard on any given night. 
    “You’ve seen what (Huffin) is capable of when she’s on,” Carrick said.
    Getting more consistent production from her will be a key for the Lady Bobcats down the stretch this season and in the rest of her career at GCSU.
    Senior forward Ashley Williams recorded a double-double against NGCSU her third in a row and ninth of the season, tallying 15 points and ten rebounds.
    The team had a week to rest before their Feb. 13 match-up with Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, but the Lady Pirates proved too strong in crunch time, holding on for a 67-61 win.
    Williams was a force inside once again, finishing with her fourth double-double in a row, but the star of the show was senior point guard Lindsey Smith.  “Smitty” had a great all-around game with ten points, nine rebounds and six assists.  Her final assist moved her ahead of Tracy Davis (1994-1998) into first all-time at GCSU.
    Her coach spoke volumes about this tough little guard.
    “This team is nothing without (Smith),” Carrick said.  “She is our spark plug, she runs the show, and I have no idea how we’re going to replace what she does for us.”
    The road got even rougher for the Lady Bobcats on Feb. 16 when they faced Lander University. The Lady Bearcats took control down the stretch, turning a close game into a 14-point win, 93-79.
    Senior guard Elicia Lynch led GCSU in scoring with 19, and Williams’ double-double streak continued as she scored 18 points and snagged 14 rebounds, but they did not get enough help offensively to match Lander’s attack.
    The ladies finally returned home for a Feb. 18 contest with Columbus State University.  The evening labeled “Black History Night” in the Centennial Center provided a close game, which the Lady Bobcats would find themselves on the losing end of.
    The game looked like a mismatch early, as GCSU could not find the net and CSU entered halftime with a 14-point lead.
    The second half saw a tenacious Lady Bobcat team claw their way back with scrappy defense and opportunistic offense.  Freshman Mandi Dudish led the way with 16 points, including five-of-eight from three-point range.
    “I haven’t been shooting that well lately,” Dudish said.  “So it felt really good to just go out there and start hitting shots and get comfortable.”
    Junior guard Emily Bixler played one of her best games of the season, and recorded a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds, and Smith contributed eight assists to complement 12 points, but missed two key free throws with less than 20 seconds left.
    Her coach was disappointed with the result of the game, but perhaps more so for his point guard.
    “It’s not like she’s the only one who missed free throws,” Carrick said.  “She has done so much for us and we would not have even been in position to win without her.”
    Her teammate was also quick to point out that the team as a whole lost this game.
    “As a team, you make mistakes during the whole game,” Dudish said.  “It’s just that people only really notice the ones you make at the end.”
    The Lady Bobcats wind down their season with a three-game road trip before their season finale at home against the University of South Carolina at Aiken on March 2.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 22 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