By Destiny Hartwell
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Savannah Steel extended their winning streak to two games on Friday night, handing the Greensboro Groove their sixth consecutive loss in a 91-82 victory at Enmarket Arena. The Steel established dominance early, utilizing sharp ball movement to build a lead as large as 19 points in the second quarter.
Turner’s Career Night Sparks the Steel
Harmoni Turner delivered a spectacular, career-high performance to anchor Savannah’s offense. Turner dominated the floor, recording a commanding double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds. She was lethal from beyond the arc, shooting 5-of-9 from three-point range, and stayed perfect from the charity stripe by finishing 8-of-8 on free throws.
Savannah also saw crucial double-digit scoring contributions from across the roster. Lasha Petree contributed 14 points, while Lauryn Taylor nearly secured a double-double of her own with 10 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
Following the win, Steel head coach Coretta Brown reflected on how beautifully the team’s chemistry is coming together after a previous losing skid.
“I’m most proud about what this team is, that they celebrate each other, and as a coach, like, you got to love to see that,” Brown said. “The main thing is to be a fist, you know, and I think we’re starting to see this as just being a fist. Be a fist, learn to celebrate each other.”
Greensboro mounted a late push in the fourth quarter, outscoring Savannah 23-17 in the final frame, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome. The Groove was paced by Diamond Johnson, who scored 24 points, and Jessica Timmons, who added 20 points in the loss. The Steel’s bench proved to be a major X-factor in the contest, outscoring Greensboro’s reserves 37-11 to keep the momentum firmly in Savannah’s favor.
Greensboro head coach Janice Washington noted that while her team was able to cut into Savannah’s lead, small details down the stretch ultimately cost them the game.
“Those three stops in a row that matter, and when loose balls are happening, we’ve got to be first to it,” Washington said. “We’ve got to be ready to go grab that ball and make sure that we’re the ones that are getting it and not allowing people to constantly beat us to the ball.”
Despite securing the win, Coach Brown is keeping her team focused on cleaning up areas of concern as they hunt for a third straight victory.
“We’re happy with the win. We’re not happy with the 20 turnovers,” Brown noted. “We’ve got to find a way to kind of limit those turnovers again.”
With the victory, Savannah keeps their positive momentum rolling, while Greensboro must quickly turn the page to snap its 0-6 skid with another road game less than 24 hours away.
Both teams will then face an incredibly quick turnaround, hitting the hardwood again on Saturday, June 27, for a 4 PM tip-off. Don’t miss a second of the action! Secure your seats today by visiting the Savannah Steel website for single-game and season tickets, or call (912) 494-2868 for more information.
– STEEL –