The Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team scored 10 straight points to take a fourth-quarter lead only to have Thomas University (Georgia) make four free throws in the final 19 seconds to pick up a slim 56-55 victory on its home court Saturday afternoon.

The Grizzlies (7-6) began their late charge after trailing 49-43 with 6:09 remaining in the contest. Freshman Christal Collins connected on a 3-point field goal before a three-point play from sophomore Jamya Griffin tied the game at 49-49 at the 4:56 mark of the second half.

Griffin gave the visitors its first lead since the third quarter, at 51-49, with a steal and layup with 4:10 remaining. Freshman Christen Collins capped the run by making a pair of free throws with two minutes left.

Thomas (7-6) answered with a 3-pointer by Aaliyah Ringold to cut the deficit to 53-52 at the 1:44 mark. The Night Hawks then regained the lead, at 54-53, as Ameari Logan made two free throws with 19 seconds left. GGC turned the ball over on its next offensive possession and Thomas' Destiny Hill converted two more free throws to give the team a three-point advantage with eight seconds remaining on the clock.

Thomas committed a foul with two seconds left and Christen Collins made both free throw attempts to close the gap to the final one-point edge.

After Thomas led 11-8 after the opening 10-minute stanza, GGC outscored the Night Hawks by a 15-8 margin over the final 6:42 of the first half to take a 28-26 halftime lead. The hosts then made 53.9 percent of their field goals during the third quarter to regain the lead 43-39.

Christen Collins led four double-figure scorers for GGC with 15 points, while junior Nylaa Fuller scored 12 points along with having seven rebounds. Christal Collins and Griffin each added 10 points for the team.

Destiny Hill, Logan and Ringold each scored 11 points to lead Thomas.
 
Coach's Corner
"This is a tough one for sure. We are learning how to win and compete. We fought back in the fourth quarter and took a lead, but just wasn't able to finish. Christal (Collins) gave us a spark and hit some big threes," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
After scoring 10 straight points to take a 53-49 lead with two minutes remaining, Thomas got a 3-point field goal from Aaliyah Ringold and then had consecutive defensive stops. The Night Hawks' Ameari Logan converted two free throws with 19 seconds left to give the hosts a 54-53 advantage. The Grizzlies turned the ball over on their next offensive possession. Two more free throws by Destiny Hill gave the hosts a three-point lead with eight seconds left in the game.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Thomas made 40.4 percent of its field goals, compared to 28.4 percent shooting by the Grizzlies
• Junior Nylaa Fuller scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds
• Thomas outrebounded the Grizzlies by a 41-36 margin
• GGC's defense forced 10 steals

News & Notes

• GGC drops to 7-6 this winter; Thomas improves to 7-6 in 2025-26
• Four Grizzly players scored in double figures
• Thomas won both meetings this season, with both games decided by single-digit margins
• The Grizzlies held Thomas to 2-of-15 shooting from behind the 3-point field goal arc

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Montreat College (North Carolina) on Tuesday, December 16, on Education Day at the Convocation Center, starting at 1 p.m.