A win is a win.
And you’ll take them any way you can.
For the Georgia College women’s basketball team, the first sentence above proved true against USC Aiken this past Saturday.
Georgia College held on for the 57-54 victory on a monster three-pointer by junior guard Chimere Jordan in the final minute of the game.
The Bobcats evaded trouble on a last second three attempt by the Pacers to claim the win.
The Bobcats did not play their best ball, but played well enough to garner the victory. The Bobcats now stand at 17-6 overall and 10-3 in the Peach Belt Conference western division. The conference record is good enough for a divisional deadlock with Clayton State.
What was most relieving about the game was that the dismal shooting streak seemed to come to an end.
Prior to the Aiken game, John Carrick’s ‘Cats hadn’t shot the ball over 40 percent in five previous outings. Against Aiken, GCSU responded with a 40 percent performance, highlighted with terrific perimeter shooting at 8-of-18 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
That brings us to the next to last road trip of the regular season for the Bobcats.
GCSU will load the bus and hit the road to Americus, Ga. and play visitor to Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes (10-13, 5-8 PBC-west).
You’ve heard of teams that are on the cusp of breaking out and taking a giant step forward.
I’m here to tell you that the ‘Canes are that team. Third-year Head Coach Kelly Britsky is starting to see her style turn into wins. The Hurricanes have been in the cellar of the conference over the last three to four season.
The Hurricanes are led by senior guard Brittany Reynolds (11.7 points & 7.2 rebounds). Georgia Southwestern is then followed by senior forward Whitley Wiltz (10.7 points & 8.3 rebounds), sophomore guard Jessica Bivins (10.3 points & 2.2 rebounds), senior guard Brandi Burris (8.1 rebounds, 4.5 rebounds &1.5 assists), and junior guard Nadirah Gardner (6.7 points & 3.8 rebounds).
The foundation for success is certainly there for the ‘Canes. Georgia Southwestern needs some bench depth to back up the core talent.
Last time these two teams met back on Jan. 13, the Bobcats prevailed 66-48. Senior center Antoinette Reames and senior point guard Shandrea Moore each had 16 points. Reamed snagged 17 rebounds in the victory as well. The Bobcats dominated the boards, wining 53-42 on the glass, and winning 22-12 in points in the paint. The Bobcat bench also blew out the Hurricanes 19-3.
Therefore, what are the keys the second go-around?
Glad you asked!
1) I’m going to start listing this as the first key every blog from now on. Energy must be present in order for the Bobcats to win. John Carrick loves when his team brings enthusiasm to the floor night in and night out. Any coach, for that matter, is ok with a loss as long as you give it your all. In the losses for GCSU this year, the Bobcats were just merely running through the motions on the floor. Bringing energy is a must.
2) Let’s key in on the perimeter defense for Georgia College. The Bobcats must stop a deep guard attack the Hurricanes show. Georgia Southwestern does not thrive on the three-ball per say, but this team can be really effective by penetrating any type of defense. Throw in effective ball rotation, you could be in for a mess. Moore, Jordan, senior guard Candice Clark, and junior guards Dominique Huffin and Jessica Baker must take pride in not letting the Hurricanes attack from the outside be effective.
3) At the same, Reames and junior forward Tammeisha Law must not allow easy post entry passes to get the guard game flowing for Georgia Southwestern.
4) I’ll be watching the rebounding again this time out. GCSU won the first time out by eleven, 53-42, and by ten, 38-28 on the defensive glass.
5) Over the “ups and downs” of the past week or so, I’ve noticed a trend of not capitalizing on turnovers. In simpler terms, Georgia College must turn other teams’ mistakes into points. I’d like to see a turnover turn into an immediate fast break each time. If the Bobcats can capitalize on the 20 average turns by the Hurricanes, things should be just fine.
As always, other stories unfold every game out. That’s the beauty of sports. It’s a new story every day or night on the playing surface.
And that, my friends, is why my job is never dull!
Talk with you at 5:20 on country 102.3 FM in Milledgeville or http://www.country102fm.com/ (wkzr link). Looking forward to joining Scott MacLeod again! Always a treat to team up as a dynamic duo!
The M-Team! (Milledgeville team)
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