The wins just keep coming for the Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team, with Saturday afternoon's 75-58 victory over Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) in the Convocation Center being the 11th straight victory and 11th homecourt triumph this season – getting the Grizzlies primed for upcoming postseason play.

GGC (18-6) once again started strong, outscoring the Fightin' Indians by a 23-12 margin in the first quarter and maintaining that 11-point edge with a 42-31 halftime advantage. The team continued to outscore its visitors in each of the next two quarters, despite some hectic moments midway through the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies will conclude the regular season at Bluefield University (Virgina) on Wednesday, February 18, before hosting the Continental Athletic Conference championship tournament in the Convocation Center on February 26 through Sunday, March 1. (Tournament seedings and schedule will be announced soon by the CAC.) The conference champion will advance to the NAIA tournament.

"Early on this season, our defense was carrying us. Now, we are starting to hit shots and we're where you want to be at (as a team) in mid-February and going into the conference tournament," said Head Coach Tory Wooley. "I'm excited for our growth from throughout the year and I feel like we have gotten better each month."

Wooley admits an NAIA tournament appearance would be quite an accomplishment for the first-year program.

"Our players are looking forward to the challenge," the coach said.

GGC was up to any challenge posed by Haskell Indian Nations for the second time this season. The two teams met nearly a month earlier (January 10) at a CAC Classic on a neutral court in Temple Terrence, Florida, with the Grizzlies scoring a 61-44 victory – matching Saturday's 17-point triumph.

Once again, freshman Christen Collins was a thorn offensively and defensively for Haskell Indian Nations, scoring a game-high 26 points on Saturday. She had 23 points in the January matchup between the two teams. She had eight points in three of the four quarters in the latest contest and collected a team-high four defensive steals in the game.

Meanwhile, sophomore Jamya Griffin scored 16 points and junior Peyton Hearvey added 12 points and eight rebounds. Junior Nylaa Fuller had a season-high seven assists and tied freshman Hope Taylor with seven rebounds apiece.

"Today was a total-team effort," Wooley acknowledged.

Haskell Indian Nations managed to get within nine points, at 61-52, early in the fourth quarter. However, consecutive layups by Collins and Hearvey provided the hosts with some comfort room, leading 65-52. Later, another layup by Griffin and two free throws by Fuller gave the team its largest lead of the game, at 75-52, with 2:12 left in the game.


 
Coach's Corner
"This was a really good team win. Christen (Collins) and Jamya (Griffin) played extremely well. They (Haskell Indian Nations) threw everything they had at us defensively whether it was a zone (1-3-1), man-to-man or run-and-jump. They threw the whole kitchen sink at our guards and they handled the pressure really well," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
GGC scored 17 points over the course of the first five and a half minutes of the game to take an early 17-7 advantage. As was the case for the entire game, the Grizzlies' offensive contributors were spread across the lineup. Freshman Christen Collins had two 3-point field goals, sophomore Jamya Griffin had back-to-back baskets, junior Peyton Hearvey added a 3-pointer, freshman Hope Taylor contributed a jump shot, and junior Nylaa Fuller had two free throws during the opening stretch. The team then took a 23-12 edge after the first quarter.
 
Inside The Numbers

• Freshman Christal Collins scored a game-high 26 points; two other players were in double figures
• The Grizzlies scored 33 points after forcing Haskell Indian Nations into 21 turnovers
• The team made 16 free throws (out of 21 attempts) and was 6-of-7 from the line in the first quarter
• Twelve players contributed to the team's last home game of the regular season

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 18-6 this winter; Haskell Indian Nations is now 12-16
• The Grizzlies had an 11-3 record in regular-season home games during their inaugural season
• Georgia Gwinnett College and Haskell Indian Nations are members of the Continental Athletic Conference
• GGC has scored two 17-point victories over the Fightin' Indians this season: 61-44 on January 10 in the CAC Classic at Temple Terrace, Florida, and 75-58 on Saturday in Lawrenceville, Georgia

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to close out the regular season at Bluefield University on Wednesday, February 18, in Bluefield, Virginia, starting at 5:30 p.m.