Women race out to 2-0 start with blowout victories over Anderson, USC Aiken
Maurice Smith stood outside the Bobcat locker room prior to Wednesday’s home opener against USC Aiken with a look of determination and anxiousness.
Flashback to last Friday in South Carolina, when the same look was present on Smith’s face in the season opener at Anderson University.
All the pre-game nerves, though, funneled their way toward Smith’s first two collegiate victories as a first year head coach in as many opportunities.
GCSU (2-0) most recently defeated USC Aiken (2-1) in a non-conference battle 74-55 in the Centennial Center Nov. 17. The Bobcats netted five players in double figures, led by senior guard Chimere Jordan’s 19.
The play of Jacksonville St. sophomore transfer point guard Karisma Boykin was most impressive for Smith in the win, though.
Boykin finished just shy of a triple-double with 10 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.
“She (Karisma) battled on both ends of the floor,” Smith said. “Her transition game tonight was one of the main reasons we won the game.”
Boykin is just happy for the win in front of the hometown faithful.
“It’s always good to get a win in front of the home crowd,” Boykin said. “We just wanted to come out and play hard to get the win.”
Playing with a sense of urgency, though, took some time to catch on to.
The Bobcats shot 38.7 percent from the floor in the first period, including just 1-10 from behind the three point line. GCSU went into the locker room at half time with a 29-20 lead.
That was when Smith attempted to invoke a sense of passion in the locker room to his team.
“At half time I told the girls we needed to come out and set the tone for the second half,” Smith said.
The Bobcats did just that.
GCSU shot 58.3 percent from the field (14-of-24) in the second stanza to stay in front of USC Aiken, on the way to their second victory of the young season. The team also dialed well from downtown, hitting 5-of-8 from behind the arc, good for 62.5 percent.
“This was an important game,” Smith said. “Although it’s not a conference game, it still counts in the (southeast) regional rankings. Winning any game in your region is a plus.”
Rebounding effectively played a major role in the Bobcats’ victory.
The Bobcats won the battle on the boards 43-30, outdueling the Pacers 31-19 on the defensive glass.
“It was a total team effort in rebounding the basketball,” Smith said. “Karisma (Boykin) was able to start the trend with her teammates on the defensive end and everyone chipped in nicely.”
Boykin furthered Smith’s importance on rebounding.
“When you rebound well, you have more opportunities to score,” Boykin added.
Along with Jordan and Boykin in double figures, junior forward Tammiesha Law garnered 15 points, while senior guard Dominique Huffin had 13. Junior guard Ashleigh Fox set a new career high with 12 points, respectively.
But it was the play of Boykin and Jordan, along with Smith’s halftime speech, which propelled Georgia College in the victory.
“(USC) Aiken spread the floor defensively and we wanted to attack them in order to get everyone involved,” Boykin said. “Once everyone got involved offensively, we knew we had a good chance.”
On Nov. 12, GCSU ousted the Trojans of Anderson University 72-52. Jordan sparked the victory, setting a new career high with 35 points.
The Bobcats return to action against West Georgia at home Nov. 23 for a 7:00 p.m. first tip.
GCSU hits the road after Thanksgiving, traveling to Dahlonega to battle Trevecca Nazarene on Nov. 26, followed by St. Augustine on Nov. 27 in the after-holiday tourney hosted by North Georgia.
“We are getting contributions from everyone,” Smith said. “From our freshmen up through our seniors, we are playing good basketball right now.”
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