By Brackin Lambert
uscbathletics.com
BLUFFTON — USCB women’s basketball team put together a strong effort in its Peach Belt opener versus Augusta University, but 19 first-half turnovers hurt the Sand Sharks in a 74-67 on Wednesday in The Cove.
Janiyah Heyward led the way for USCB with 21 points and eight boards, while Brielle Bartelt knocked down 16 points. Mahkayla Primo didn’t score until the second half but finished with 14 points while dishing out four assists.
“Very, very pleased with our effort,” USCB coach Sharon Versyp said. “Turnovers hurt us and that’s what shot us in the foot, but it’s our first time playing a Peach Belt opponent and Augusta is a very good team. Again, very pleased with our effort as we finally got into a rhythm with our point guards and really executed.”
The Sand Sharks (4-5, 0-1 PBC) forced Augusta into a number of errant shooting opportunities throughout the first quarter, as the Jaguars shot only 33 percent from the field compared to Beaufort’s 77 percent. Heyward put USCB on the scoreboard with a 17-footer from the wing, but AU’s Mone Florence drilled a triple 10 seconds later to take the lead. After Heyward sank another bucket from inside the paint, Kay’Mar Griffin made it a three-point game scoring off a fast break.
The scoring picked up after that as the two teams were tied or the lead was exchanged three times throughout the period. Bartelt knocked down both ends from the charity stripe to tie the game at 16 and then gave USCB the lead as she laid one in as time expired.
Augusta jumped out to a five-point lead three minutes into the second quarter, but Bartelt made a circus-like jumper in the paint coming out of a timeout and followed it with a three-ball to tie it back up at 25. The Jags quickly answered with a 12-4 run to close out the half, heading into the locker room up by eight.
USCB opened the second half with back-to-back threes as Premo and Shaniya Rose cut the lead to four, but AU used a 9-2 run midway through the period to go up by 11. Heyward’s turnaround jumper ended the run, but the Jaguars would go to the free-throw line four times as the period winded down to take a 10-point lead heading to the final period.
Autumn Phillips’ 3-pointer with 7:06 remaining gave Augusta its largest lead of the night at 13, but USCB went on a 9-4 over the next three-plus minutes fueled by Premo’s five points, making it a six-point game. The Sand Sharks cut the lead to as little as five after Taniyah Bowman picked up a steal and flew to the basket for two, but Beaufort was on the wrong side of the clock as the comeback fell just seven points short.
“We showed our grit and had some growing pains, but pleased with the outcome,” Versyp said.
Slow start dooms USCB at Clayton St.
Taniyah Bowman posted a career-best 11 points off the bench and the Sand Sharks trimmed the lead down to five, but couldn’t overcome a few late turnovers and fell to Clayton State, 62-48, Saturday afternoon in Morrow, Ga.
“This is a tough one because we did a lot to ourselves,” Versyp said. “We’ve got to a better job of limiting our own mistakes moving forward.”
Janiyah Heyward scored in double figures for the eighth straight game and Shaniya Rose fell just one point shy of a double-double, posting nine points and 10 boards.
USCB was held scoreless for the first three-plus minutes until Heyward converted the Sand Shark’s first bucket, ending the Lakers 8-0 run to begin the game. Clayton State pushed its lead out to double-figures, going up 13 after Jadah Waite converted one of her three first-quarter triples.
The Sand Sharks faired better in the second period, finding Rose down in the paint to cut the lead to single digits. But White drained another 3-pointer to put the Lakers up 11. Premo picked off a pass and converted the basket to head into the half down eight, 27-19.
Madison Self contributed four points to in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Lakers continued their man-to-man defense, forcing multiple turnovers and converting those turnovers into points.
Clayton State’s lead sat at 10 heading to the fourth quarter, but USCB continued to put the pressure on, forcing the Lakers into poor shooting opportunities and trimming the lead to six. Waite connected on another triple to make it a 10-point Laker advantage, but Bowman went coast-to coast putting her into double-figures and making it 57-48. That would be the last basket USCB scored in a 62-48 defeat.
The Sand Sharks return home this week with Lander visiting The Cove on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and Georgia Southwestern coming to town for a 1:30 p.m. tip Saturday.
