By Destiny Hartwell
JACKSONVILLE, FL — Despite entering the matchup with a short-handed eight-player roster, the Savannah Steel pushed the league-leading Jacksonville Waves to the wire before ultimately falling 83-76. This loss extended Savannah’s current skid to six games, while Jacksonville relied on late-game execution and roster continuity to secure the victory.
Steel Controlled Tempo in Competitive First Half
Savannah found early success through guard Lasha Petree, who spearheaded an 11-0 run in the opening frame. Petree poured in nine first-quarter points, helping the Steel survive several self-inflicted turnovers to lead 21-20 at the break. The defense forced five Jacksonville turnovers in the period.
In the second quarter, the Steel executed a deliberate game plan to slow down the pace and attack the basket. Petree recorded four quick steals, forcing Waves head coach Jessica Bogia to call a timeout down 31-26 with 5:31 remaining in the half. With Jacksonville’s Shyanne Sellers sidelined due to early foul trouble, the Waves struggled to find offensive consistency.
A technical foul assessed to Coach Bogia at the 4:32 mark sparked a response from the Waves. Anchored by Adut Bulgak’s offensive rebounding, steals from Khayla Pointer, and physical finishing by Reniya Davis, Jacksonville answered with a 9-4 run. However, Alisia Jenkins kept Savannah ahead by going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, giving the Steel a narrow 40-38 lead at halftime.
Waves Direct Third-Quarter Surge
Savannah opened the second half with its original starting unit of Jenkins, Petree, Que Morrison, Olivia Cochran, and Lauryn Taylor. Morrison managed the offense effectively, while newly acquired guard Ta’Mia Scott, playing her first game with the Steel after a trade from the Greensboro Groove, scored her first points on a transition three-pointer to tie the game at 45-45.
The Waves responded through Bulgak, whose back-to-back three-pointers out of the front-court provided a temporary 53-51 advantage. Defensively, Taylor Soule disrupted Savannah’s offensive flow, allowing Jacksonville to limit their third-quarter miscues to just a single turnover while building a 65-57 lead heading into the final period.
Rebounding and Roster Depth Decide the Final Minutes
The Steel struggled to score early in the fourth quarter as the Waves maintained an aggressive pace. Scott connected on her second three-pointer of the night to keep Savannah within striking distance, though a technical foul assessed to Jacksonville’s Ariel Hearn altered the late-game momentum under the five-minute mark.
Savannah cut the deficit to 74-69, but persistent second-half rebounding issues, a season-long problem for the Steel, prevented them from completing the comeback. Petree made her first trip to the free-throw line with 1:19 remaining, splitting the pair. Immediately after, Morrison came up with a steal and sank two free throws to make it a two-possession game.
Petree then intercepted the subsequent inbound pass and converted a quick basket to narrow the score to 79-75, forcing Jacksonville to utilize its final timeout with 51.9 seconds left. Ultimately, the Waves held an 80-75 edge with 37.5 seconds remaining, and a final last-second heave from Morrison fell short. Jacksonville’s chemistry and depth proved to be the deciding factors down the stretch
The Savannah Steel will have an immediate opportunity to adjust as they remain in Jacksonville for a rematch against the league-leading Waves this Sunday, July 19, looking to snap their six-game slide. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Single-game and season tickets can be purchased on the Savannah Steel website or by calling (912) 494-2868.
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