BRUNSWICK, Ga. - It was a sweet homecoming for the College of Coastal Georgia women's basketball team as they defeated the Middle Georgia State Knights by a final of 60-34 in their 2024-25 season home opener on Wednesday night inside Coffin Gymnasium.
It was the Knights (0-2) who captured lightning in a bottle in the first quarter, beginning the game on a 14-2 run, stunning the Mariners (2-1) for the first eight minutes of the game. Just as quick as MGA thought they were running away with the game, the Mariners responded with 19 unanswered points from the two minute mark in the first quarter all the way to 5:57 mark in the second quarter. Gracie Hearon broke the scoring streak for the Knights with a layup to cut the deficit to 14-4 and the Mariners never looked back. Hearon added a free throw and Morgon Webb ended the quarter with a layup with 34 seconds left, as the Knights took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
CCGA continued their streak into the second quarter, as Hearon began the scoring with a layup, followed by a Webb layup, while Iesha Rhodin electrified the home crowd with a three pointer to tie the game at 14 a piece. CCGA continued the barrage with Peyton Shafer added a three of her own, and Jasmin Worsley joined the party with back-to-back layups to make the score 21-14 in favor of CCGA. Vanessa Samuel ended the Mariners hot streak with a layup, but it was no match for the Mariners offense, as they went on another 10-1 run to end the quarter as Worsley and Shafer both scored four points each in the run to send CCGA to the locker room with a 30-17 lead.
Shafer led the way offensively at the half with nine points, three rebounds and a steal while Worsley followed close behind with eight points, four rebounds, and three assists. Webb and Hearon both added five a piece for CCGA.
The third was much more of the same for the Mariners as they surrendered just 11 points in the quarter and held the Knights to just 28 percent shooting from the field in the quarter. The Mariners, meanwhile, shot 41 percent from the field and outrebounded the Knights by three. Hearon got the quarter started with a pair of free throws, but a three from Brianna McRae immediately canceled them out. Two trips later, Taylor Gardner inserted herself in to the game for the first time with a layup, and Maylei Noreika followed with a three to swing the momentum back to CCGA. The Knights didn't go quietly, however, as they sparked a quick 6-0 run on a three point play from Kyla Raven and a three from McRae, and capped an 8-2 run with a layup from Keiane' Rollins. That layup at the 2:54 mark was the last scoring done by the Knights in the quarter, and the Mariners closed with baskets from Gardner and Rhodin to end the quarter with a commanding 43-28 lead.
It was an even more dominant fourth quarter for CCGA defensively, surrendering just six points to the Knights while holding them to 16 percent from the field and zero percent from three. Meanwhile, the Mariners scored 17 in the quarter on 6-12 shooting and closing the game 5-7 from the charity stripe. Alli Stone took over the fourth quarter offensively, scoring six of her seven points in the quarter. The Knights scored just once after the media timeout, and Stone iced the game with a jumper with just under two to play, securing the Mariners second win of the season with a 60-34 final score.
Worsley finished as the leading scorer for CCGA with 12 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists on the night for the senior from Deerfield Beach, Fla. Shafer finished with 11 for the second game in a row, shooting 5-8 from the field and draining her lone three pointer of the game. Hearon finished with seven points and a team leading seven rebounds. Nobody for the Knights scored more than 10, but Kylah Raven and Zakyria Johnson both finished with a team leading seven.
It is the second time in as many weeks that CCGA has defeated the Knights, and the Mariners only two wins of the season have come against MGA.
CCGA returns to action on Monday, November 11, when they host the Wesleyan Wolves. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. from Howard Coffin Gymnasium.
