By: Destiny Hartwell
SAVANNAH, GA – The Savannah Steel battled through ten lead changes and forced a second quarter surge but ultimately fell 70-60 to the Jacksonville Waves on Saturday afternoon at Enmarket Arena.
Savannah endured an ice-cold shooting start in the opening period, making just four field goals to fall behind 14-9. The momentum swung sharply in the second quarter behind sharp perimeter execution from forward Lauryn Taylor. Taylor knocked down three triples in the frame to spark a 20-point quarter, sending the Steel into the locker room tied at 29-29 at halftime.
Jacksonville asserted its dominance in the second half, leaning on balanced scoring to seize control. Shyanne Sellers paced the Waves with a team-high 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Jasmine Walker and Rennia Davis added 12 points apiece. Jacksonville outscored Savannah 20-13 in the third quarter, capitalizing on interior defense and secondary scoring to stretch their lead to as much as 18 points in the final frame. Jacksonville’s bench heavily outproduced Savannah’s reserves, outscoring the Steel unit 17-4.
Taylor led all scorers for Savannah with 16 points and eight rebounds, while guard Ja’Leah Williams turned in a complete performance with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Lasha Petree chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds, while Zee Spearman added nine points down low. Despite shooting 53% in the second quarter, Savannah struggled from deep overall, finishing 4-of-24 (16.7%) from three-point territory compared to Jacksonville’s efficient 46.4% mark from the field.
For complete team and individual statistics from Friday night’s matchup, view the full game box score.
The Savannah Steel is not finished yet! If you haven’t had a chance to make it to Enmarket Arena to see the Savannah Steel in action, get your tickets now! The Steel will play host to the Jacksonville Waves for the final game of the regular season on Sunday, August 23, with that game tipping off at 4 PM. Single-game tickets can be purchased online at the official Savannah Steel website or by calling (912) 494-2868.
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