The Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team led from the opening tipoff to score a 69-50 victory over Montreat College (North Carolina) in Tuesday afternoon's Education Day game, with members of area youth teams in attendance at the Convocation Center.

The Grizzlies (8-6) put the first seven points on the scoreboard in the contest and came back with the first 10 points of the second quarter. Later, the hosts started the second half on a 9-0 offensive run to take full control of the game.

Sophomore Jamya Griffin led the early surge with five points, behind a 3-point field goal and a layup. A basket by junior Shayla Sandiford following an offensive rebound gave GGC a 20-15 advantage late in the first quarter.

GGC built a 30-18 lead after a 3-pointer by junior Peyton Hearvey with 4:42 remaining in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' defense was also effective, limiting Montreat (5-8) to just six points in the second 10-minute period.

Freshman Christen Collins took over the game during the third quarter, scoring 10 straight points to push the team's advantage to 47-28 with six minutes remaining in the third stanza. The guard tallied 15 of her game-high 21 points during that third quarter.

"The players have been really engaged in practices. That led us to a good all-around performance today. We've lost late leads in some of our recent road games on the road, so we've been right there. The challenge going forward has been playing together for the entire 40-minute game," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.

Griffin chipped in 13 points while also having six rebounds and four assists to complete a strong all-around performance. Junior Maddie Presha added 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.

The Grizzlies connected on 38.5 percent of their field goals and outrebounded the Cavaliers by a 42-37 margin.


 
Coach's Corner
"I'm pleased with our effort. We were able to put together 40 good minutes into this game. We took care of the ball (having only 11 turnovers) and outrebounded them by five (42-37). Those were some things we emphasized heading into the game," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies opened each of the first three quarters with effective offensive runs. Scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter, the team grabbed a commanding 30-18 lead. Then, freshman Christen Collins registered 15 of her game-high 21 points during the third quarter as GGC built a 62-34 advantage.
 
Inside The Numbers

• GGC made 38.5 percent of its field goals, compared to 36.2 percent for Montreat
• Freshman Christen Collins scored 21 points in the triumph
• The Grizzlies registered 34 points in the paint near their basket
• GGC tallied 11 assists on Tuesday

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 8-6 on the season; Montreat drops to 5-8 this winter
• The Grizzlies opened each of the first three quarters with at least a 7-0 offensive run, highlighted by scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter
• Georgia Gwinnett College's Office of Athletics hosted area youth basketball teams for a special Education Day game
• GGC had three double-figure scorers in the victory

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to travel to Carolina University on Thursday, December 18, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, starting at 1 p.m.