By Brackin Lambert
uscbathletics.com
A payback that might’ve been planned for next season came earlier than expected as USCB pulled a massive upset over visiting North Georgia on Saturday, defeating the Nighthawks 66-59 to avenge a 103-38 road defeat last month.
“We were just going to give up twos, not threes,” said USCB coach Sharon Versyp, whose team held the Nighthawks to 0-for-17 from 3-point range. “Every player that went in did something special for their team. We have to learn how to win. If we’re ahead by six, don’t turn the ball over. We have to learn how to win.”
Janiyah Heyward powered the Sand Shark offense, pouring in 19 points with nine rebounds, and Brielle Bartelt added 16 with two steals.
The win came on the heels of a 67-64 win over Georgia College on Wednesday in The Cove, giving the Sand Sharks their first back-to-back wins in Peach Belt Conference play. Mahkayla Premo led the charge against the Bobcats with 25 points and a stellar defensive effort, playing the full 40 minutes, and Heyward and Bartelt each added 10 points for USCB.
The Sand Sharks (7-15, 3-11 PBC) have clawed within two games of Georgia College and Flagler, which currently hold the last two spots in the eight-team PBC Tournament, and they host Flagler in The Cove at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
“I’m just so proud of this group,” Versyp said after the win over North Georgia. “It wasn’t pretty when we went down there but this right here takes that taste out of our mouth and our kids are starting to perform and starting to click. The players are buying in and it’s great to see.”
