Georgia College & State Knocks Out Wingate In NCAA Women’s Basketball South Atlantic Regional

Morrow, Ga.--Georgia College & State University junior forward Marquita Driskell exploded for 30 points and 14 rebounds as the sixth-seeded Bobcats used a dominating performance on the boards to defeat third-seeded Wingate 87-67 in the opening game of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional hosted by Clayton State University in the Athletics and Fitness Center

The victory improves Georgia College & State to 21-9 overall. The Bobcats advance to Saturday's regional semi-finals with a 6 p.m. game against North Carolina Central University. Wingate finishes its season at 23-7 overall.

In addition to the season coming to a conclusion for Wingate, it was also the end of an era for the Bulldogs as head coach Johnny Jacumin coached his final game on the Wingate bench. The veteran completed his 27th and final season with the Bulldogs, compiling an amazing overall record of 591-218. Jacumin's ledger includes 10 South Atlantic Conference regular season championships and nine appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

The story of this game was the domination on the glass by the Bobcats. The Bobcats grabbed a whopping 55 rebounds to only 33 for Wingate. GC&SU pulled down 20 offensive boards, with three players totaling 10 or more total rebounds.

Georgia College & State set the tone early, leading by as many as 15 points. Bobcat junior guard Elicia Lynch hit a three-point basket to give the Bobcats a 40-25 lead with 2:26 remaining in the first frame. Wingate stayed within striking distance thanks to a strong half from the free throw line. The Bulldogs converted 14-for-19 from the charity stripe and trimmed the GC&SU lead to 42-34 at halftime.

In the second half, Georgia College & State took control, shooting 60 percent from the field (15-for-25). The Bobcats used an 11-0 run early to stretch its lead to 20 points. GC&SU sophomore guard Emily Bixler hit a jump shot to put the Bobcats up 61-41 at the 14:52 mark.

The Bobcats' largest lead of the half and the game was 25 points. Driskell's jump shot gave Georgia College a 70-45 lead with 11:52 remaining. The closest Wingate could trim the deficit was 14 points as a three-point basket by Bulldog junior guard Kate Edwards (Laurinburg, N.C.) cut the Bobcat lead to 77-63 with 5:51 remaining.

Bixler supported Driskell's efforts with 15 points for Georgia College & State. Bobcat junior guard Lindsey Smith contributed 11 points. Junior forward Ashley Williams grabbed 13 rebounds, while senior guard/forward Cassie Miliner pulled down 10 boards for the Bobcats.

For Wingate, senior guard Tanetra Barrett (Marshville, N.C.) finished a stellar career for the Bulldogs with 17 points. She became only the fourth player in Wingate history to eclipse 2,000 points, finishing with 2,005 career points. Edwards and senior guard/forward Lakin Byer (Bassett, Va.) each scored 11 points for the Bulldogs.

GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE WOMEN 87, WINGATE 67
GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE (21-9 overall)
Driskell, Marquita 11-18 8-9 30; Bixler, Emily 5-10 4-4 15; Smith, Lindsey 4-6 3-7 11; Brantley, Tiauna 2-4 4-6 8; Chapman, Savanna 3-6 0-0 8; Williams, Ashley 3-11 0-0 6; Miliner, Cassie 0-3 4-7 4; Lynch, Elicia 1-5 0-0 3; Royster, Christina 1-2 0-0 2; Haggerty, Lindsay 0-1 0-0 0; Holsendolph, Brandy 0-1 0-0 0; Dawson, Shanice 0-0 0-0 0; Herndon, Katie 0-0 0-0 0; Harrison, Shawana 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-67 23-33 87.
WINGATE (23-7 overall)
Barrett, Tanetra 7-14 3-4 17; Edwards, Kate 4-8 0-0 11; Byer, Lakin 4-11 3-4 11; Nagy, Petra 3-8 1-2 8; Atkinson, Anna 2-9 2-3 6; Paffrath, Emily 1-4 1-1 3; Mincey, Paige, 0-0 3-4 3; Metzker, Kerri 1-8 0-0 2; Rhodes, Stacie 1-2 0-0 2; Tucker, Leslie 0-1 2-2 2; Gillis, Kasey 0-0 1-2 1; Payne, Autumn 0-0 1-2 1; West, Brittany 0-0 0-0 0; Rosser, Sarah 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-65 17-24 67.
GC&SU......................... 42 45 - 87
Wingate....................... 34 33 - 67
3-point goals-GC&SU 4-17 (Chapman, Savanna 2-4; Bixler, Emily 1-4; Lynch, Elicia 1-3; Williams, Ashley 0-1; Miliner, Cassie 0-1; Royster, Christina 0-1; Holsendolph, Brandy 0-1; Driskell, Marquita 0-2), Wingate 4-17 (Edwards, Kate 3-6; Nagy, Petra 1-5; Atkinson, Anna 0-4; Barrett, Tanetra 0-2). Fouled out--GC&SU-None, Wingate-None. Rebounds-GC&SU 55 (Driskell, Marquita 14), Wingate 33 (Nagy, Petra 8). Assists-GC&SU 19 (Smith, Lindsey 6), Wingate 11 (Atkinson, Anna 4). Total fouls-GC&SU 22, Wingate 25. A-150
First game of 2007 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional
GC&SU plays N.C. Central at 6 p.m. on Saturday in semi-finals