There was plenty of offense on Saturday between Georgia State women’s basketball and Troy, but it would be the Trojans who defeated the Panthers by a final of 96-87 at the Sports Arena. The Panthers’ record now stands at 7-7 and 2-3 in the Sun Belt.
First Half
The first points for both teams came courtesy of three-pointers as Georgia State’s Makeba Ponder and Troy senior guard Kourtney Coleman both made shots from behind the arc producing an early 3-3 tie. The Panthers’ Ashanti Groover and Ashley Watson both contributed layups each placing Georgia State ahead 7-3. Groover got the start for this game over Brittany Logan.
Georgia State managed to maintain their four-point advantage early as they assumed a 9-5 lead over the Trojans. A three from Coleman got Troy within one at 9-8, but Ponder answered with one of her own to make the Panthers’ lead four again as they went ahead by a score of 12-8.
With the score at 14-10 in Georgia State’s favor, Trojans sophomore forward Caitlyn Ramirez made a three to cut their deficit to one, but she was then called for a foul against Groover which sent her to the line making two free throws increasing her point total to eight as Georgia State’s lead became 16-13.
After a layup from Watson increasing the Panthers’ advantage to 18-13, Troy embarked on a 10-0 run that included threes from Coleman and Ramirez as well as layups by Coleman and senior forward Brianna Lancaster going ahead by a score of 23-18.
A pair of layups by Nichols as well as another three-pointer from Ponder, equaled a 7-0 run for Georgia State as they went ahead 25-23.
Trojans junior guard Ashley Beverly-Kelley’s ensuing layup and free throw after a foul on Ponder placed Troy ahead at 26-25. Georgia State’s Morgan Jackson then made a jump shot giving the Panthers a brief 27-26 lead before another three from Coleman made it a 29-27 contest in the Trojans’ favor. Gaby Moss responded with her first two points of the game to tie the score at 29.
Another Coleman three gave Troy a three-point, 32-29 lead
The Trojans maintained their three-point advantage with leads of 34-31 and 36-33. Coleman increased her point total to 24 as Troy went ahead 38-33. The Panthers then scored three-pointers from Ponder and Ashlee Cole as their ensuing 6-2 run got them back within one at 40-39. The lone two points from Troy came from junior guard Lacey Buchanon.
A free throw from Nichols off a foul by Lancaster tied the game at 40.
Two-pointers by Beverly-Kelley, Buchanon, and senior forward Ronita Garrett equaled a 6-0 Trojans run pulling ahead 46-40. Georgia State answered with five consecutive points from Cole making the score 46-45.
Sophomore forward Lauren Day’s two-point shot placed Troy ahead 48-45, but another three-pointer by Cole tied the score up at 48. This tie would be maintained as the two teams were knotted up at 50. The Panthers would go into the halftime period at 51-50 after Nichols made one of two free throws after being fouled by Day.
Second Half
The Trojans began the second half by scoring nine of the period’s first eleven points. This included six more points by Garrett and was aided by six Georgia State turnovers as Troy went ahead by a score of 60-53.
The Panthers got within three with two points each from Watson and Logan, but layups by Garrett and Coleman extended the Troy advantage back to seven at 64-57. Ponder’s third made three cut the Georgia State deficit to 64-60.
The Trojans maintained their four-point advantage with leads of 66-62 and 68-64. Logan made a foul shot after being fouled by Lancaster, then Moss increased her point total to four as the Panthers trimmed their deficit to one at 68-67.
Kayla Nolan’s first two points of the game then gave Georgia State a 69-68 lead. The Panthers would maintain this advantage as they assumed leads of 71-70 and 73-72.
Ramirez was then charged with a foul against Watson, which led to her arguing with a referee and being charged with a technical foul. Watson’s two ensuing free throws gave Georgia State a 75-72 lead before Trojans guard Rachel Reid made a three to tie the score again at 75.
Ponder then made a pair of free throws off a foul by Lancaster giving the Panthers a brief 77-75 advantage before another three-pointer from Reid placed the Trojans ahead 78-77.
Buchanon’s following two-point shot upped her point total to eight before another three from Cole made the score all tied at 80.
The Panthers and Troy would see themselves tied up at 82 and later at 83 apiece. After Alisha Andrews made the second of her two free throws after making her first, another three-pointer from Reid along with Buchanon’s ninth and tenth points of the game gave Troy an 88-84 lead.
With the score at 91-87 in favor of Troy with just under three minutes left to play, Garrett’s 17th and 18th point of the game extended the Trojans’ lead to six at 93-87. Two free throws by Beverly-Kelley and one from Coleman made the score 96-87 as Troy won by this score.
Women’s basketball faced UT-Arlingtonnext on Thursday at 5 p.m. with a home game.
| Georgia State | Troy |
|---|---|
| Ponder: 22 points | Cole: 14 points |
| Coleman: 27 points | Garrett: 18 points |
