By Brackin Lambert
uscbathletics.com
Janiyah Heyward got back in a groove with a team-best 18 and Jada Young had a career-high 13 points off the bench, but Georgia College outscored USCB by seven points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Sand Sharks 73-64 Wednesday night in Milledgeville.
The opening period saw five lead changes and two ties before Beaufort went on an 8-0 run to go up 19-11. GCSU out scored the Sand Sharks in quarter two, but after a back and forth battle through nine minutes, Mahkayla Premo drained a triple from the top of the key to make it 33-30 and Madison Self went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe to end the period and send USCB into the break up four.
It was more of the same in the second half, as the lead changed hands repeatedly before the Sand Sharks went on a 5-0 run to make it 52-47, but the Bobcats hit back-to-back jumpers in the final minute to head into the fourth tied at 52.
The Sand Sharks scored the first five points of the final period, but the Bobcats surged back and early foul trouble came back to hurt the Sand Sharks down the stretch.
It was a tough time Saturday at North Georgia, as Brielle Bartelt was the lone Sand Shark in double figures as USCB took a 103-38 loss to the Nighthawks.
Bartelt posted a team-high 11 while Taniyah Bowman added eight, with both guards coming off the bench.
North Georgia opened the game on a 9-0 run through the first four minutes. Bartelt put USCB on the board knocking down two from the free throw line just under the six minute mark. The Sand Sharks followed with a 6-0 run to trim the lead to three, but the Nighthawks quickly regained their two-possession lead.
The Night Hawks kept the Sand Sharks off the board for majority of the second quarter as Bartelt ended the scoreless streak. Ella Coffey hit a triple late in the period but North Georgia held a 62-19 lead at halftime.
The Sand Sharks (4-10, 0-6) return to the Cove on Wednesday to host rival USC Aiken and travel to Flagler on Saturday.
