By: Destiny Hartwell
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Savannah Steel mounted a furious second-half comeback Friday night, but an early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Steel fell to the Greensboro Groove, 72-68, at Novant Health Fieldhouse.
Savannah struggled to find its rhythm early, as the Groove jumped out to a nine-point advantage after the opening quarter and continued to build on its lead in the second. Greensboro’s defense held the Steel to just two made field goals through the first seven minutes of the second quarter, helping the Groove build a lead that reached as many as 26 points.
The Steel entered halftime trailing 50-26.
Savannah came out of the locker room determined to change the momentum, opening the second half with back-to-back baskets. The Steel began attacking more efficiently offensively and put together one of its best stretches of the night in the third quarter.
Savannah shot 40% from the field in the third and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, outscoring Greensboro 23-14 to cut the deficit to 15 heading into the fourth quarter, 64-49.
The comeback continued in the final period.
The Steel continued to chip away at the Groove’s lead, eventually forcing Greensboro head coach Janice Washington to call a timeout after Savannah cut the deficit to single digits at 69-60 with 3:46 remaining.
Despite trailing by as many as 26, Savannah’s second-half fight kept the game within reach down the stretch. The Steel outscored Greensboro 42-22 after halftime, but the early hole ultimately proved too deep and Greensboro held on for the 72-68 victory.
The loss drops Savannah to 7-22 on the season as they now turn their attention to a quick opportunity for revenge.
Next Up
The Steel and Groove will meet again Saturday, August 15, with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m. Savannah will look to carry the momentum from its second-half comeback into the rematch and finish what it started Friday night.
For complete team and individual statistics from Friday night’s matchup, view the full game box score.
Don’t Miss the Action at Enmarket Arena! If you haven’t made your way to Enmarket Arena yet, don’t miss your chance before the inaugural season wraps up! The Savannah Steel finish their regular season at home with a three-game homestand from August 21 to 23. Single-game and season ticket packages can be purchased online at the official Savannah Steel website or by calling (912) 494-2868.
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