Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.- The Coastal Georgia women's basketball team (1-5(0-1)) dropped its Sun Conference opener 83-71 to Southeastern (2-3(1-1)) on Thursday night.
For the Mariners, senior Joyce Jordan led the way offensively. She recorded a career-high 21 points while also snagging down five rebounds. Sonia Forney was right behind her, dropping in 15 points of her own and recording seven rebounds while shooting an efficient 6-11 from the field.
Freshman Gabby Litvak followed up her career game against Edward Waters on Tuesday with another solid performance. She recorded nine points and set a new career-high with eight rebounds while also leading the team with two blocks.
Iesha Rhodin had a big night for the Mariners as well. The freshman point guard showed off her court vision as she dished out nine assists while also scoring nine points.
Nicole Hofmann and Kelsey Leedle combined for 14 points to round out the rest of the major scorers for Coastal Georgia.
For the Fire, Raegan Linster had her fingerprints all over the game as she recorded 28 points, 10 rebounds and six steals to help Southeastern snap its three-game losing streak. Gabby Suarez followed Linster with 20 points while getting a pair of steals herself. Anja Knoflach and Emilia Sexton each scored 11 points and hit three three-pointers to round out the rest of the primary scorers for the Fire.
As a team, the Mariners outrebounded the Fire by a 46-40 margin. Both teams shot nearly identical from the field and the three-point line with Southeastern having a slight edge in that regard. The Fire knocked in three more shots from beyond the arc and recorded seven fewer turnovers than the Mariners which proved to be key down the stretch.
How It Happened:
1ST QUARTER: The Fire jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. The Mariners made up ground but could never keep the game within one possession. A pair of Nicole Hofmann threes and eight points by Sonia Forney thanks to four Iesha Rhodin assists helped keep the Mariners within five points at the end of the first quarter. The Fire's Raegan Linster and Gabby Suarez had it going for them early as they combined for 15 first-quarter points.
2nd QUARTER: The Mariners again stayed within arm's length of the Fire. They fell down 32-21 early in the quarter before going on a 10-2 run to cut Southeastern's lead down to three. The teams traded short runs as the half ended with the Fire taking a 46-40 lead into the break.
3rd QUARTER: The Mariners came out locked in after the break and brought the game within one point before Southeastern would close the quarter on a 12-3 run to break open the game.
4th QUARTER: The Fire rode that double-digit point lead all the way until the final buzzer to take their first Sun Conference win of the season, 83-71.
UP NEXT: The Mariners will travel to Ave Maria, Fla. to take on the Gyrenes on Saturday at 2 pm.
