Bobcats take out Armstrong, push winning streak to eight
AASU got off to a strong start in the opening minutes of the game, as guard Lindsey Holmes nailed two early three-pointers. After the first five minutes, the Pirates led the Bobcats 10-8.
A three by junior guard Shandrea Moore gave the Bobcats their first lead of the game. Fellow guard Daniela Nopuente added two more threes shifting the energy in the home team’s favor.
Staying true to their defensive prowess, GCSU shut Armstrong down on several subsequent possessions. Junior Antoinette Reames dominated the paint, as she continued her season-long swat party with three blocks early.
Nopuente was perfect on her first three attempts giving her eight in the early point column.
“(Nopuente) was very valuable in the first half,” John Carrick, head coach, said. “She’s getting better, so you can see what kind of threat she is.”
Inside the ten-minute mark of the first half, both sides struggled from the field. The rim teased the combined offenses leaving the Bobcats ahead 19-15.
Adding to Nopuente’s spark, senior forward Emily Bixler made a three-pointer, extending the lead to six with 2:30 left before halftime. Scrappy bench play gave the Bobcats a 30-25 advantage going into the break. Poor field goal and free throw percentages plagued the offensive output, while a 45 percent clip from long range helped GCSU stay in front.
Bixler said Carrick tried to encourage the team to keep shooting and that the shots would fall eventually.
The Bobcats built the lead to eight off sophomore guard Mandi Dudish’s first trey of the night. The opening minutes of the second half proved no kinder with both sides struggling to find the touch.
Back to back three’s by sophomore Dominique Huffin and Bixler stretched the GCSU advantage to double digits at the 12:35 mark. Unfortunately, an ankle injury ended Nopuente’s night early.
AASU fought back to cut the margin to eight points, but a three-pointer from Huffin reaffirmed GCSU’s control. Solid all-around play from junior guard Candice Clark helped maintain the lead, as the Bobcats finally loosened up.
Carrick said they established a run-and-gun tempo in the second half by sharing the ball.
Approaching the final five minutes, the score advantage swelled to 63-45 for the home team. Offensive flow, steady defense and gutsy rebounding proved too much for the Pirates.
“He (Carrick) has always said as long as we bring that defensive intensity, everything else will fall into place,” Bixler said.
GCSU successfully increased its win streak to eight in a convincing 12-point beatdown of a solid conference opponent. Huffin was the high scorer at 12 points, while Reames chipped in seven rebounds and five blocks.
The Bobcats dominated in bench points with 30 to the Pirates’ 16, and held advantages in second chance and fast break points.
The Bobcats record stands at 15-5 overall and 10-3 in PBC play, heading into an away matchup against Lander University Feb. 14.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Feb 13 2009. Filed under Sports.
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