By: Destiny Hartwell
GREENSBORO, N.C. — After more than a month of waiting, the Savannah Steel finally had a reason to celebrate.
The Steel held off a furious second-half comeback from the Greensboro Groove on Saturday afternoon, escaping with a 74-72 victory at Novant Health Fieldhouse for their first win in over a month.
Savannah wasted little time establishing control. Cori Lard opened the scoring for the Steel, while Alisia Jenkins continued to make her presence felt on both ends of the floor. Savannah controlled the pace throughout the opening half, carrying a 16-14 advantage through the first quarter before extending its lead to double digits.
The Steel took a 37-25 lead into halftime, a stark contrast to Friday night’s meeting when Savannah found itself facing a deficit of more than 20 points at the break.
Savannah’s offense found its rhythm in the second quarter, shooting 46% from the field while converting seven of eight free-throw attempts.
But Greensboro wasn’t going to go quietly.
The Groove opened the second half with a 9-0 run, cutting the Steel’s lead to 37-32 and forcing Savannah head coach Toccara Ross to call an early timeout.
The timeout paid immediate dividends as the Steel regained their composure and rebuilt a 10-point cushion, prompting Greensboro head coach Janice Washington to stop play.
From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth battle.
Jessica Timmons did everything she could to pull the Groove back into the game. She scored 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting and knocked down all 10 of her free-throw attempts.
Timmons helped Greensboro claw within two before a jump ball with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter. Sahara Jones then tied the game at 49-49, and the Groove eventually carried that momentum into a 53-53 tie entering the fourth.
Greensboro continued to push in the final period, taking a 65-62 lead with 6:23 remaining.
Savannah answered.
The Steel regained a four-point advantage late and fought to protect it as the Groove made one final push. Greensboro had one last opportunity to steal the victory, but Tayanna Jones-Bell’s final heave fell short, allowing Savannah to finally close the door.
The Steel finished the game shooting 41% from the field, including 33% from three-point range, while going 14-of-19 from the free-throw line.
Jenkins led Savannah with 21 points, while Lasha Petree added 16 and Zee Spearman finished with 12. JJ Quinerly contributed 10 points, three assists and six steals.
Savannah also received a major boost from its bench, which outscored Greensboro’s reserves 25-2. The Steel additionally held a 28-18 advantage in points in the paint.
For a team that had endured more than a month without a victory, Saturday’s finish was about more than just the final score.
The Groove threw everything they had at the Steel in the second half, erased a 12-point halftime deficit and even took the lead in the fourth quarter.
But this time, Savannah found a way to finish.
And when Jones-Bell’s final shot missed, the Steel could finally celebrate again.
The Savannah Steel will look to carry the momentum from Saturday’s victory into their next matchup on Wednesday, August 19, against the Jacksonville Waves. After snapping their month-long skid with the 74-72 win over Greensboro, Savannah will look to build on the confidence gained from closing out a tight game and carry that momentum into their matchup with Jacksonville. That game will tipoff at 7 PM.
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.
–STEEL–