By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
By the time you read this, one or both of the USCB basketball teams could be sitting atop the Peach Belt Conference standings.
The Sand Sharks kept pace in the races for the PBC regular-season crowns Saturday with a sweep of rival USC Aiken in front of a packed house in The Cove. Both the women’s and men’s squads sat one game out of first place heading into Wednesday’s road trip to Augusta.
USCB’s women ran their win streak to three games and finished a season sweep of the Pacers with an 83-59 rout, taking control in the second quarter and keeping the pedal down throughout the second half in a dominant showing.
Lydia Gattozzi led the charge with 21 points and eight rebounds, and reigning PBC Player of the Week Taniyah Bowman added 13 points along with six assists and five boards, but it was freshman Izellah “Zee” Kendrick who stole the show, pouring in 16 points and grabbing five rebounds in just 11 minutes off the bench.
The Sand Sharks were tremendous on the boards, outrebounding the Pacers 49-29 with Janiyah Heyward ripping down 12 rebounds to go with her 10 points and Madison Self grabbing 10 boards along with six points.
The USCB men had a little more difficulty putting away the pesky Pacers, but the Sand Sharks never trailed in an 83-71 victory, avenging a loss earlier this season in Aiken as well as last year’s PBC Tournament championship game defeat.
Evan Kilminster and Shea Champine scored 13 points each, and Nolan Paladugu and Qurahn Anderson added 12 apiece in a balanced effort as USCB shot 50 percent from the floor and went 10-of-24 from 3-point range.
The Sand Sharks hit the road to Augusta on Wednesday before returning home against Lander on Saturday. Lander’s men sit atop the standings, a game ahead of the Sand Sharks, while USCB’s women trail Columbus State by a game.
PBC BASKETBALL STANDINGS
WOMEN
PBC OVL
Columbus St. 7-2 13-3
North Georgia 7-2 12-7
USCB 7-3 10-7
Augusta 6-3 11-5
Middle Georgia 5-4 11-4
Georgia Southwestern 4-5 8-8
Lander 4-5 6-10
Flagler 3-6 8-9
Clayton St. 3-6 6-10
Georgia College 2-7 6-11
USC Aiken 2-7 5-12
MEN
PBC OVL
Lander 9-2 14-4
USCB 8-3 14-5
Columbus St. 7-4 13-6
Georgia College 7-4 12-7
Georgia Southwestern 6-5 13-6
Flagler 6-5 12-7
North Georgia 5-5 11-5
USC Aiken 4-7 9-10
Augusta 4-7 9-12
Middle Georgia 3-8 7-11
Clayton St. 1-10 2-17
