By Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – GSW Sophomore guard Mariya Trimble scored 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to help lead the Georgia Southwestern State Lady Hurricanes to a big 87-86 win over Young Harris in the Storm Dome on Sunday, February 4.

Amanda Melosky also had a double-double for GSW. Melosky scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. It marks the first time this season that two GSW players recorded a double-double in the same game.

Brittany Grant had a season-high 22 points and five rebounds for GSW (7-12, 4-11).

The win was crucial in that it moves the Lady Hurricanes to within one game of the final Peach Belt Conference Tournament spot.

Ashlyn Ellison scored 19 points to lead Young Harris (8-14, 5-10 PBC).

It was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair in the first quarter. Neither team led by more than four points. Georgia Southwestern went on an 8-2 run over the final 2:08 of the quarter to take a 24-20 lead.

The Lady Hurricanes outscored Young Harris 19-12 in the second quarter. A big factor was the 15-4 advantage GSW had on the boards. Six of those rebounds were offensive rebounds which led to four points. Grant went 3-for-3 shooting in the second quarter, scoring seven points in the quarter. GSW took a 43-32 halftime lead.

The Lady Hurricanes went hot in the third quarter, shooting 58.8 percent from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Young Harris also shot the ball well, shooting 47.4 percent from the field. However, by the end of the third quarter, GSW still had a double-digit lead at 12.

GSW increased their lead to 17 points two minutes into the fourth quarter, their biggest lead of the game. However, Young Harris wouldn’t quit as they scored the next seven-straight points to cut the lead to 10 with 3:26 to go. Thanks to GSW turnovers, the Mountain Lions’ Briana Bell hit three-straight three-pointers to cut the Lady Hurricanes’ lead to three points. After Shanya Jones was fouled and made one free throw to put GSW up by four, Sara Jorgensen knocked down a three-pointer for Young Harris. All of a sudden, a 17-point lead had dwindled down to just one point.

With two seconds remaining, GSW turned the ball over, giving Young Harris a chance to win the game. GeNaisha Robinson got behind the GSW defense and got an open look, but couldn’t convert the layup as time expired. The Lady Hurricanes escaped with an 87-86 win.

Georgia Southwestern outrebounded Young Harris on the glass 56-41. Of those rebounds, 25 of them were offensive rebounds, which were converted into 20 second-chance points.

GSW shot 9-of-16 from beyond the arc (56.3 percent) and held a 39-24 advantage in bench points.

The Lady Hurricanes will travel to Columbus on Wednesday to take on Columbus State. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.