North Georgia Pulls Away Late In 68-60 Win Over Lady Pirates

SAVANNAH, Ga. - North Georgia used an 8-0 run during the final three minutes of the contest to pick up a 68-60 Peach Belt Conference women's basketball victory over host Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday afternoon in Savannah.

The Lady Saints (8-10, 3-6 PBC) notched their third straight victory while handing the Lady Pirates (6-12, 3-7 PBC) their sixth straight loss of the season.

North Georgia opened up a 15-point lead in the first half, as Jessica Howard's basket put the Lady Saints up, 29-14, with 5:21 remaining. Armstrong Atlantic held North Georgia without a field goal for the rest of the first half, however, cutting the lead down to six at halftime, 30-24.

In the second half, the Lady Pirates picked up their first lead of the game on a Portia Jones jumper, making the score 40-39 with 13:16 remaining. There would be three ties and six lead changes in the second half, with North Georgia finally asserting control by starting an 8-0 run with 3:04 left, building a two-point 55-53 advantage to an insurmountable 64-56 lead with 41.4 seconds remaining.

Whitney Randolph led all players for the Lady Saints with 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Sarah Stinson also notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to go with seven blocked shots. Janyce Ealey added 17 points as well for North Georgia.

Freshman Jazmin Walker led the Lady Pirates with a season-high 18 points, while senior Lauren Hall added 17 points on her 22nd birthday. Jones finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Lady Pirates return to action on Wednesday, February 3, with a 5:30 p.m. Peach Belt Conference contest against Flagler at Alumni Arena.

Head Coach Matt Schmidt's Post-Game Comments

On the first half: "We played without effort or energy for the first 10 minutes, if not more. From there on out, we really played with a lot of energy."

On capturing the momentum heading into halftime: "I think we decided to defend and put pressure on the ball to make things difficult and force turnovers. We were then able to get some easy points, get steals and make some plays."

On Jazmin Walker's second half: "Jazmin is really taking advantage of the opportunities she's been given as a freshman starter. She plays with a lot of energy and I'm pleased with her progress."