Johnson University made nearly 50 percent of their field goals to defeat the Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team 73-57 on the Royals' home floor Wednesday evening in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Johnson (1-3) jumped out a 19-11 lead following the first quarter. GGC (5-2) cut the deficit to four points, at 24-20, following a layup from sophomore Jamya Griffin with 6:42 remaining in the second quarter.

However, the hosts scored the next seven points to push their lead back to double digits. A 3-point field goal from GGC junior Peyton Hearvey brought the team within eight points, at 39-31, by halftime.

The Royals continued to shoot the ball well in the second half, building a commanding 52-35 lead after a layup from Jadyn Cooper midway through the third quarter.

GGC once again trimmed away at the deficit, trailing 57-50 after a free throw from junior Nylaa Fuller with 6:34 remaining in the contest. That was as close as the team would get as Johnson used a 10-3 offensive run over the next four minutes to secure its first victory of the season.

Johnson outrebounded GGC by a 52-35 margin in the contest and had a 32-18 advantage in points scored near the basket.

Jordan Heifner led six Johnson players in double figures with 17 points and added 10 rebounds. Emery Tollett had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Freshman Christen Collins scored a game-high 23 points for GGC and junior Laila Williams came off the bench to score 16 points.
                                                    
Coach's Corner
"We have to do a better job of rebounding the basketball. We got out rebounded by 17 today. Johnson is a great team and made a national tournament appearance last year and they showed that when they're healthy they can be tough to beat. I believe in my team and we'll be ready to bounce back on Saturday," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
Johnson shot over 50 percent from the floor for the first three quarters to build a 55-43 advantage. The Royals had an answer each time GGC threatened, using a 7-0 offensive run during the second quarter and a 10-3 run over a four-minute span in the fourth quarter.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Johnson connected on 49.1 percent of its shots in the victory
• The Royals outrebounded the Grizzlies by a 52-35 margin
• Junior Laila Williams scored a career-high 16 points on Wednesday
• The team committed only eight turnovers

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 5-2 this winter; Johnson improves to 1-3 on the season
• The Grizzlies recorded seven steals
• The team stands 1-1 in road contests in 2025-26
• GGC and Johnson are scheduled to meet again January 24 in Lawrenceville, Georgia

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Georgia) on Saturday, November 15, in the Convocation Center, starting at 5:30 p.m.