The Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team relied on a balanced offensive attack to open Continental Athletic Conference play with a 61-47 victory at Carolina University on Thursday afternoon in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Grizzlies (9-6) had four double-figure scorers, led by freshman Christen Collins with 15 points. Juniors Peyton Hearvey and Maddie Presha joined sophomore Jamya Griffin in each chipping in 11 points for the team.

A layup by Hearvey gave the visitors an 11-7 lead with 4:25 remaining in the opening quarter. The rest of the first half was a tight contest, with GGC building a 15-10 advantage following a layup by Presha at the 2:26 mark of the period.

Carolina (2-10) trimmed the deficit to a single point, at 19-18, after Dearia Page connected on a 3-point field goal in the closing seconds of the first quarter. The Bruins then took a 23-21 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half.

GGC responded with a 3-pointer by Hearvey and a second-chance bucket from junior Shayla Sandiford as the team slowly methodically moved ahead and enjoyed a 34-29 halftime edge.

The Grizzlies then proceeded to score the first eight points of the third quarter. A layup by Collins gave the visitors a 47-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Freshman Hope Taylor converted a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound to give GGC a 55-42 lead with 5:24 left in the game.

The Grizzlies' defensive pressure turned 27 Carolina turnovers into 27 points, and the team outscored the Bruins by a 34-8 margin inside the paint near the basket. Junior Nylaa Fuller grabbed 11 rebounds while also scoring seven points.
 
Coach's Corner
"This was a great team win. We have learned from our past performances, and we wanted to set a positive tone against a conference opponent. This was the second straight game that we have come out strong in the third quarter. That sets the tempo for the second half and creates some separation. We did a good of job of breaking their rhythm by switching defenses," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
GGC came out strong in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' defense held Carolina to eight points in the period. The team recorded 19 steals and held a 16-9 edge in second-chance points during Thursday's road triumph.
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies' defense limited Carolina to making 36.4 percent of its field goals
• GGC outscored Carolina 17-7 at the free throw line
• The Grizzlies recorded 19 steals in the triumph and turned 27 turnovers into 27 points
• Freshman Christen Collins scored a game-high 15 points

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 9-6 in 2025-26; Carolina drops to 2-10 on the season
• Thursday's game marked the final game of the 2025 calendar year
• Georgia Gwinnett College and Carolina are members of the Continental Athletic Conference
• GGC and Carolina are scheduled to meet again on January 27 in Lawrenceville

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to face Washington Adventist University (Maryland) in a CAC Classic on Friday, January 9, at Florida College in Temple Terrace, Florida.