BRUNSWICK, Ga. - With the game coming down to the wire and Webb 0-7 from the three point line, the senior from Knoxville, Tenn. drained her first and only three of the game to put the Mariners ahead in the Tuesday night contest with the Brewton-Parker Lady Barons, securing a 60-59 victory inside Howard Coffin Gym in their final contest before Thanksgiving break.
The Mariners (5-4, 0-3 SUN) came right out on fire, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead through the first three and a half minutes of the first quarter. Jasmin Worsley got things started with a layup and after Destanee Wright answered on the other side of the court, the Mariners scored the next seven points thanks to a jumper and two free throws from Gardner and a three pointer by Maylei Noreika. After a Tyler Butler layup made the score 11-5, the Lady Barons (5-4, 1-0 SSAC) offense woke up as a layup from Sydney Beasley made the score 11-8. Gardner continued to score and a 1-2 trip from Morgon Webb at the free throw line pushed the Mariners lead back to 14-9 with 2:25 to play in the quarter. Brewton-Parker did not go quietly in the quarter, ending the period on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 14 a piece headed to the second quarter.
Wright and Butler both dropped in layups to start the second quarter, but the Lady Barons started to pull away in the second quarter with a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter, taking a 27-20 lead with 4:44 left in the half. This time, it was the Mariners turn to mount a run and get back in the ballgame, using a 5-0 run from Worsley and Gardner to cut the lead down to just two. Three pointers from Deagle and Keats of the Lady Barons made sure the Mariners wouldn't take the lead before the half, but a Butler layup cut the lead to four to send us to the locker room with Brewton-Parker leading 33-29.
Gardner and Butler both ended the half with eight points followed by Worsley with five. The woes from deep continued for the Mariners in the half, as they shot just 1-10 from behind the arc and just 37 percent from the field.
Out of the break, both teams remained even on the scoreboard as Gardner tied the game up at the free throw line with 6:04 left in the third. A personal 5-0 run from Beasley pushed the Lady Barons lead back to five, and Brewton-Parker took a five point, 49-44, lead into the fourth and final quarter.
BPC came out in the fourth on fire and pushed their lead out to as many as 10 three minutes into the fourth and final quarter, but the Mariners did not back down and continued to fight their way back into the contest. Gracie Hearon, Webb, and Butler continued to dominate the paint and got the lead down to just four with three minutes to play in the game. With 3:02 left in the game, Beasley knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Lady Barons up five, but a layup from Worsley and a 1-2 trip from the free throw line from Butler cut the lead to two with 1:49 on the clock. Both teams went a minute of game time with no scoring, and after forcing a turnover, Butler found Webb behind the three point line as she splashed home her first of the game after previously being 0-7 on the game from behind the three point line as CCGA took a one point lead with 21 seconds on the clock.
The drama did not end there as Chastity Deagle was fouled driving the lane in the games final second, as two good free throws would send the game into overtime. After making the first, Deagle's second attempt rolled out and the offensive putback by Andranique Stewart hit the bottom of the scoreboard as time expired, securing the Mariners one point win and first victory since November 14.
Butler finished with a team leading 15 points while Webb followed with 13, Gardner had 12, and Worsley dropped in 11. The rest of the Mariners combined for just nine points in the winning effort. CCGA shot just 2-19 from the three point line in the contest, with Webb's game winner being the first for the Mariners in the game since the first quarter.
The Mariners will now take a lengthy break for the holiday season, returning to action on December 7 when they travel to Tifton to take on the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Fillies. Tip off is set for 2:00 p.m.