Savannah State women's basketball dropped the first game of the 2022-2023 season on Saturday, falling to Anderson 75-84.
The Lady Tigers drop to 6-1 on the season, but remain undefeated (3-0) in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action. Savannah State is ranked No. 20 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the D2SIDA South Region Media Poll.
Savannah State started out strong and ended strong against Anderson—who they beat 74-63 in the team's first meeting on Dec. 3—but had rough middle quarters. The Lady Tigers shot 53% from the floor in the opening quarter as both teams put up 17 points.
Nyla Allen and Autumn Westmoreland opened the second period with a good free-throws to give Savannah State a 19-17 lead. But Anderson bit back.
Tied up at 21 all with 6:41 on the clock, Anderson opened a 9-3 run. By halftime, the Trojans held a 37-29 advantage. They outscored the Lady Tigers 20-12 in the second quarter and then again, 22-19, in the third quarter. Savannah State's offensive output dwindled in the middle periods to barely a shooting clip of 30% from the floor.
In the final quarter, down 48-59, the Lady Tigers attempted to cut into Anderson's lead. Allen put up the first field goal of the quarter. But Anderson, instead, pushed out to a 15- point lead over the first four minutes.
Down the final stretch, Savannah State outscored the home team 27-25, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome the double-digit advantage already set.
Allen led the Lady Tigers with 18 points on the night. Jashiyah Jones went 3-for-4 from deep and 6-for-10 from the field for 15 points. Bria Gibbs scored 13 and Mia Goolsby tacked on 10 in the loss.
Savannah State returns to SIAC action with two big road games this coming week. They face Tuskegee in Dec. 15 and Spring Hill on Dec. 17. They close the fall semester with a Dec. 19 non-conference game against Georgia College.
Both the men's and women's team return home for four SIAC home doubleheaders on Jan. 2, Jan. 4, Jan. 7 and Jan. 9
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