Women’s Basketball splits weekend games

Women take win at Francis Marion, fall to UNC Pembroke during weekend road trip

Since their two losses last week, the GC women’s basketball team split its road games against Francis Marion University and UNC Pembroke on the weekend of Jan. 20. The Bobcats snagged a 58-50 win against Francis Marion and dropped their game at UNC Pembroke 54-50.

Kendyl Wade | gcsunade.com

Freshman guard Lisa Mitchell penetrates the defense against Augusta State in the Battle of the Cats on Jan.18. Mitchell contributed defensively to the Bobcats 58-50 win at Francis Marion on Jan. 20.

“We had a lot of mistakes during the last two games to learn from. We got a chance to work on and correct a lot of those this weekend,” Head Coach Maurice Smith said. “It’s always tougher for the girls when we’re on the road. They’re all more comfortable at home. It gives us more momentum when we’re in a place that’s familiar.”
In Friday evening’s game at Francis Marion, the Bobcats were ahead 32-20 at the half.
“Defense was a big factor in that game,” freshman guard Enisha Donley said. “Our defense was amazing in the first half, everyone was in the paint and rebounding well.”
In the second half, Francis Marion scored 30 additional points, giving them a total of 50, but the Bobcats finished off with 56 points and stole the win.
Freshman guard Shanteona Keys said the girls received a confidence boost from Friday’s win.
“We shared the ball; we played with a lot of heart and stayed focused,” Keys said. “The girls keep each other pumped up during the games by being partners to each other on the bench. They cheer each other one, tell them where they need to be, and give each other tips on how to improve on the court.”
In Sunday’s game at UNC Pembroke, the Bobcats were not able to pull it through. The game ended at a close final score of 54-50.
At the end of the first half, GC trailed UNC Pembroke 28-23.
During the second half, UNC Pembroke continued to maintain its slight lead. When just 50 seconds remained in the game, a layup from Donley put the Bobcats just three points behind UNC Pembroke the score at 53-50.
Even though GC almost caught up, a point from the free-throw line scored by UNC Pembroke gave them the final winning score over the Bobcats 54-50.
Next on the agenda for the Bobcats is Saturday’s game against Lander University at home, at 1:30 p.m.
“We know that Lander is a good, fast-paced team who is in your face,” said Donley. “If we can slow them down, we’ll win this one.”
The Bobcats will remain home once again to face University of Montevallo on Feb. 1.
“We’ll have a whole week of practice to prepare for Saturday’s game,” Keys said. “We’ll be focusing on what we did wrong in the last game, and concentrate on improving. We’re gonna bounce back.”

Posted by KateRamsey on Jan 26 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.