The Georgia Gwinnett College women's basketball team found out it's hard to defeat an opponent three times in a season, learning that lesson in a 66-56 loss to Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) in a high-spirited championship game of the 2026 Continental Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday in the Convocation Center.

The top-seeded Grizzlies (20-7) had defeated No. 2-seed Haskell Indian Nations, the defending CAC champions, twice by 17-point margins during the regular season: 61-44 at the CAC Classic on January 10 in Temple Terrace, Florida, and 75-58 on February 14 in Lawrenceville.

However, the Fightin' Indians (13-16) were ready for the challenge this time. They outscored the tournament hosts in the final three quarters to overcome a 16-11 first-quarter deficit.

The game was tied at 26-26 at halftime before Haskell Indian Nations took a comfortable 44-38 lead into the fourth quarter. That advantage was built to an eight-point margin, at 46-38, early in the final period.

GGC would close the gap to two points on two occasions later in the quarter, but guard Ona Dauphinais always seemed to have an answer for the Fightin' Indians, scoring a three-pointer or free throws that proved to be a dagger to the Grizzlies' comeback hopes. She had 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting while being 5-for-6 from the free throw line over the last 10 minutes. Forward Ivy Fox was also quite effective for the visitors from Kansas, adding nine points while shooting 4-for-4 from the field down the stretch. They combined to have 19 of the team's 22 fourth-quarter points.

The Grizzlies could get no closer than six points during their valiant comeback attempt, hoping to extend the team's 13-game winning streak.

Junior Peyton Hearvey scored a team-high 14 rebounds while contributing eight rebounds to lead GGC's offensive attack. Freshman Christen Collins and sophomore Jamya Griffin each had 12 points – earning all-tournament team honors for their efforts in two games this week.

Dauphinais was named the CAC Championship's Most Outstanding Player after having a game-high 28 points in the championship game. Fox added 13 points and was an all-tournament team selection, as was the Fightin' Indian's Tierzah Penn, who had nine points and six rebounds in the game.
   
Turning Point
Georgia Gwinnett College seemed to be gaining momentum in the middle stages of the fourth quarter as Peyton Hearvey's free throw cut Haskell Indian Nations' lead to two-points, at 50-48, with 6:42 remaining in the game. However, as was the case all night, the Fightin' Indians always had an answer. Consecutive 3-point field goals by guard Ona Dauphinais and forward Ivy Fox gave the defending CAC champions an eight-point lead, at 56-48, with 3:48 left. The gap between the teams would never get less than six points for the rest of the game.
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies forced 21 turnovers in the game, turning them into eight points
• Four players contributed to GGC's 12 assists, with junior Nylaa Fuller having a game-high seven assists
• Junior Peyton Hearvey paced three double-digit scorers with 14 points; freshman Christen Collins and sophomore Jamya Griffin each contributed 12 points
• The 56 points is the fewest scored by GGC since losing 56-55 at Thomas University (Georgia) on December 13, 2025

News & Notes

• GGC concludes its inaugural season with a 20-7 record; Haskell Indian Nations advances to the NAIA national tournament with a 13-16 mark
• The loss broke the Grizzlies' 13-game winning streak and was the first setback of the 2026 calendar year
• Freshman Christen Collins and sophomore Jamya Griffin were all-tournament team selections for their play in GGC's two tournament games
• Georgia Gwinnett College's roster consisted of six juniors, one sophomore and five freshmen – building a strong nucleus for next season