By Destiny Hartwell
SAVANNAH, GA — Despite holding a lead for the majority of the afternoon, the Savannah Steel suffered a costly fourth-quarter collapse on Sunday, falling 69-57 to the Jacksonville Waves at Enmarket Arena. The loss gives the Waves a commanding 3-0 lead in this five-game series.
Savannah entered the fourth quarter holding a slim 45-42 lead after a stellar defensive showing in the first half, which included holding the Waves to just 9 points in the second quarter to carry a 30-23 advantage into the locker room. However, the final period belonged entirely to Jacksonville. The Waves exploded for 27 points while clamping down on the Steel, outscoring the home team 27-12 in the final ten minutes.
A primary culprit for the Steel was a cold shooting performance, particularly from beyond the arc. Savannah shot a mere 5% from three-point range, hitting just 1-of-20 attempts. Total field goals weren’t much better at 38.1% (24-of-63). Combined with 22 team turnovers, the offensive stagnation proved too much to overcome when Jacksonville pushed the pace late.
“I think our execution was good, but we just missed shots,” guard Lasha Petree said postgame. “A lot of the fourth-quarter points we got were from good looks and good shots, but we missed them, and then they pushed in transition, and that’s where they killed us.”
Defensively, the Steel found success early by playing aggressively, racking up 14 steals, including five from Petree in her return. The defensive pressure kept Jacksonville below its season offensive average for the first three quarters, but the Steel could not sustain the stops when it mattered most.
“It’s a combination of us not getting stops,” interim head coach Tocarra Ross remarked about the final frame. “Basketball is a game of runs… we gotta be able to convert at the end of the day.”
Coach Ross, who is leading the team while head coach Coretta Brown steps away to handle a private family matter, noted that roster fluidity and injuries have forced the team to implement new offensive sets on the fly.
“They got new sets, so they got to learn what those angles look like… we’re just trying to be patient with each other.”
Though the series deficit looms large, the team is treating the loss as a critical teaching point as they look to regroup.
“Right now, we’re just sticking together,” Cochran added. “We’re not looking at the game as a loss. It’s just a learning lesson. We win together; we lose together.”
The Steel will now have a short break to adjust before traveling to Jacksonville to finish out the remaining two games of the series.
The Savannah Steel are determined to snap their current five-game losing streak as they return to action on Friday, July 17. The Steel will face off against the league-leading Jacksonville Waves once again, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. To secure your seats, visit the Savannah Steel website for single-game or season tickets, or call (912) 494-2868 for more information and purchases.
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