Georgia Gwinnett College found success from 3-point shooting range at the start of the fourth quarter to pull away for a commanding 73-54 victory over Washington Adventist University (Maryland) in the semifinal round of the Continental Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday night in the Convocation Center.

The top-seeded Grizzlies (20-6 and winners of 13 straight) will have the home-court edge when facing No. 2-seed Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) in the tournament's championship game on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. The winner will represent the league in the NAIA national tournament.

Three 3-point field goals and two free throws in the first minute of the fourth quarter turned a tightly contested 11-point game, at 46-35, into a comfortable 22-point advantage, at 57-35, for GGC. Junior Peyton Hearvey was particularly effective from beyond the 3-point arc, making two straight baskets. Freshman Christen Collins added another 3-pointer and two free throws during the offensive stretch.

The Shock (15-9) could get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

That was quite a contrast from the high-spirited first half as Washington Adventist enjoyed an early nine-point edge, at 16-7, following a jump shot from Tye Queen. The visitors held onto the lead until Collins made a fastbreak layup to give GGC a 21-20 edge with 4:01 left in the second quarter.

The two teams were deadlocked at 25-25 by the halftime break.

The back-and-forth action continued in the early stages of the second half before the Grizzlies finally broke through with a combination of stifling defensive pressure, pinpoint outside shooting, and fast-break offensive opportunities. The team turned 20 turnovers into 18 points, most coming in the second half.

Sophomore Jamya Griffin led another balanced scoring effort for GGC with a game-high 18 points, while Collins had 16 and Hervey added 12. Collins and Hervey had seven of the team's eight 3-point field goals. Juniors Maddie Presha (16) and Nylaa Fuller (13) had 29 of the team's 52 rebounds in the game.

Isabela Lujan-Gonzalez had 16 points to lead the Shock, while Heather Middleton had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Litzy Lujan-Gonzalez had a team-high 12 rebounds.
 
Coach's Corner
"It took us a while to get our legs up under us (playing for the first time since February 18), but I thought we were able to get into a rhythm in the third quarter. Sometimes we just have to continue to fight and push through adversity until it clicks. Christal (Collins) hit two clutch baskets in the third quarter and we never looked back. Maddie (Presha), Nylaa (Fuller) and Jamya (Griffin) were relentless on the glass. We're excited to come back tomorrow and play for our first conference championship," said Head Coach Tory Wooley.
 
Turning Point
After a highly competitive first half that had a 25-25 halftime tie, Georgia Gwinnett College finally broke through in the second half with a combination of sharp 3-point shooting and stingy defensive pressure. Junior Peyton Hearvey started the fourth quarter with a 3-point field goal. Freshman Christen Collins added two free throws before Hearvey made another 3-pointer. Another long-range shot by Collins gave the Grizzlies a comfortable 57-35 lead with 8:50 remaining in the game. The team's intense defensive pressure created five Washington Adventist turnovers in the fourth quarter.
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies had 18 points after forcing 20 turnovers in the game
• GGC outscored Washington Adventist by a 48-29 margin in the second half
• Freshman Christen Collins scored a game-high 18 points to pace three double-digit scorers for the team
• Juniors Maddie Presha (16) and Nylaa Fuller (13) combined for 29 of the team's 52 rebounds

News & Notes

• GGC improves to 20-6 for the season; Washington Adventist ends its season at 15-9
• The Grizzlies have posted 13 straight victories
• The team maintains its standing as one of the NAIA's top defensive teams, allowing 50.4 points per game; winning games by a margin of 17.8 points
• Head Coach Tory Wooley's teams have now won 20 or more games in six of his 12 seasons as a head coach; this is his first year leading GGC

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College advances to play No. 2-seed Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) in the final game of the 2026 Continental Athletic Conference Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. The winner will represent the league in the NAIA national tournament.