AMERICUS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women’s basketball team lost a 79-67 decision to Young Harris Thursday afternoon in the PBC Quarterfinal. 

The Pacers are now 18-11 on the season.

Head coach Mark Miller‘s team was led by Breanna Gustave’s team-high 14 points. Delaney Trushel tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks. Annalise Malone and Jentri Worley netted 12 points apiece while Emily Trushel chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Hailey Unger snagged seven rebounds, dished out two assists and added a block in the contest. 

In the first quarter, USC Aiken jumped out to a 5-2 lead after a three-ball from Worley and a jumper from Malone. The Mountain Lions took the lead temporarily, but Kelsie Woodard’s free throw knotted the game at 9-9 with 4:47 to play in the frame. Trailing 16-11, Emily Trushel hit three free throws before Worley’s lay-up tied the game at 16-16 at the 2:16 mark. YHC managed to hold a 21-16 advantage after the first.

Down by seven, 23-16, Gustave converted an inside shot off a pass from Unger. Delaney Trushel’s three-point shot pulled the Pacers within two at 23-21. The teams traded the next four points but the Mountain Lions were able to make it a 44-32 contest at the break.

The Pacers trailed by 19 early in the third quarter but the team was able to 14 with 6:41 to go in the frame. After a pair of charity tosses from Malone, she found Emily Trushel for an old-fashioned three-point play, making it 53-39. The Mountain Lions held a 66-46 lead going into the final quarter.

Down 72-53, Unger hit a jumper with 6:26 to go. Gustave canned two free throws at the 5:40 mark. Emily Trushel’s three-point basket sliced the deficit to 14, 74-60, at the 4:57 mark. The designated home team cut it to 12 with six seconds left on a basket by Worley for the final score. 

For the game, USC Aiken hit 23-of-60 from the floor (38.3 percent). The team canned 15-of-21 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent). The Pacers pulled down 13 offensive rebounds. Overall, the squad dished out 10 assists, had seven second-chance points and recorded 13 points off turnovers.

COURTESY USC AIKEN ATHLETICS

AMERICUS, Ga. – In the Peach Belt Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the fourth-seeded University of North Georgia women’s basketball team moved past fifth-seeded Augusta 80-69 behind a 29-point effort by Caroline Martin.

Martin played all 40 minutes and led in scoring, making 11 shots on 19 attempts from the field while adding two steals and one block on the defensive end. Niyah Lutz finished second in scoring with 15 points, grabbing six rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

Josie Earnhardt rounded out the double digit scoring, making four of her six three-point attempts to finish with 12 points. Kayla Massop shot five of six from the line and led the team in rebounds, finishing with eight, grabbing five on the offensive end.

Key Moments

  • North Georgia (19-9) took the lead with 9:35 remaining in the second quarter and held it to the end.
  • The Nighthawks outscored Augusta 9-3 in the final three minutes of the first half to take a 38-30 lead into the halftime break.
  • UNG opened up the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run, stretching their lead to 20, their largest of the game, with 7:26 left on the clock.
  • Augusta (17-12) was able to cut the lead down to eight but North Georgia held strong, securing the 11-point victory.

COURTESY NORTH GEORGIA ATHLETICS