It hasn’t been pretty of late.
But you’ll certainly take it.
No. 17 GCSU (20-4, 13-2 Peach Belt Conference-west) recently defeated the tough Columbus State Cougars this past Saturday 77-75, and before that the Bobcats won 61-60 at Georgia Southwestern last week
These nail-biters haven’t been due to the fact that GCSU hasn’t had been able to put together a full 40-minute performance. In short, the shooting has gone by the wayside, specifically from the perimeter.
And when Georgia College doesn’t shoot well from outside the arc, other teams step on the pedal and are able to pull close.
Thankfully for Georgia College, junior forward Josh Hurst has stepped in to fill the void.
The current Peach Belt Conference Play of the Week has been dazzling the past few games, posting a double-double against Columbus and saving GCSU the game before against Georgia Southwestern on two last-second free throws.
Perhaps the Bobcats have found that answer of what to do when the three-pointer is not falling: give the ball to Hurst.
Hurst’s athleticism, quick moves, and great shooting from the inside and out have jumped the Bobcats over the Hurricanes and Cougars the last two times out.
Well, hopefully the shooting shoes return tonight against the high-octane offense Montevallo.
Terry Sellers and his Bobcats are in for a fight tonight, no doubt.
Georgia College defeated then no.18 Montevallo 61-52 on Jan. 23. Senior guard Graham Martin was sensational, scoring 23 of his total 25 points in the second half!
Martin, Hurst, and the other Bobcats must being their A-game tonight against a Montevallo team that has no problem scoring the basketball.
The Falcons (20-5, 10-5 PBC-west) have four of their five starters in double figures:
Guards: Senior Freddy Little (16 points, 2.7 rebounds) and junior Taurus Dortch (13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds)
Forwards: Senior Gerald January (12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds) and junior Cecil Coleman (11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds)
As seen above, this team is extremely talented. Head Coach Danny Young has these guys focused coming down the stretch headed into the final two games before the conference tourney.
So, what are the keys for Georgia College?
Here you go:
1) Defense. It has to drilled into the Bobcat mindset that if defense is not played on every possession, then GCSU will be beaten. This Montevallo team averages 76.1 points per game and allows just 66.5. Georgia College must take pride in “D-ing up” one final time this year during the final regular season home game.
2) Can the three-pointer return effectively? Georgia College has forced many three’s over the past five games, dating back to the Augusta State game. Hurst has been effective down low. If junior forward Ryan Aquino and senior center Rob Thomas can establish position down low, I’m running my offense looking inside first, and then looking to kick out.
3) I’ll be watching the matchup tonight of the two point-guards: Senior Ty Rowland of GCSU (5.3 assists) vs. senior Mark Plaza (6.2 assists). What a matchup! Both are experienced and mature floor managers.
4) Battle of the subs will be important to key in on. Can junior guards Andre Mikell and Trent Fildes provide adequate production off the pine, along with Thomas coming in for Hurst and Aquino? Montevallo is relatively 3-4 deep like the Bobcats.
5) Both teams love the three-point shot. GCSU is first in percentage (39.8) and makes (9.4). Montevallo is fourth in 3-point percent (35.4) and third in makes (6.4). This will be intriguing!
Sellers just garnered his eighth 20-win season for GCSU in 17 years. What an accomplishment for an outstanding family-first man!
Chat with you on Senior Night at the ‘Center at 7:25 on PeachBelt TV (pennatlantic.com) –free telecast!
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