AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's basketball team defeated the University of South Carolina Aiken on Wednesday evening to open Peach Belt Conference play. The Sand Sharks used a strong second half, highlighted by a dominant defensive performance that held the Pacers to just 12 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 26–12 in the period. USCB's defense finished the night forcing 23 total turnovers. Taniyah Bowman led the charge with 28 points and six steals.
The Sand Sharks evened their record at 4–4 with the win and improved to 1–0 in Peach Belt play. USCA fell to 1–5 overall and 0–1 in the conference.
USCB had three players score in double figures, led by Bowman, who knocked down 10 shots for 28 points while adding six assists and six steals. Lydia Gattozzi and Janiyah Heyward also reached double figures. Heyward recorded her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
In the first quarter, Gattozzi scored seven early points on three made shots, while Bri Pelote added four. The Sand Sharks opened the game with the first four points and held the lead for the first five minutes after Pelote put USCB ahead 6–2. USC Aiken responded to tie the game at 8–8 at the five-minute mark, then took its first lead at 10–8. The Sand Sharks tied the game one final time on a Gattozzi three-pointer to make it 13–13, but a 13–0 run by the Pacers over the final three minutes sent USCA into the second quarter leading 26–13.
Heyward connected on her first shot of the evening, an assisted jumper from Bowman, for the opening points of the second quarter. USCB won the quarter behind a strong defensive effort, cutting the deficit to eight after baskets from Jada Young and Gattozzi. USCA extended its lead back to 13 before three straight points from Bowman trimmed the margin to 10 at halftime. Gattozzi led the Sand Sharks at the break with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting. The defense forced 11 first-half turnovers.
USCB carried its defensive momentum into the third quarter, using Bowman's intensity to spark another strong frame. The Sand Sharks held the Pacers to 17% shooting and controlled the paint, outscoring USCA 16–2 inside. Late in the quarter, Bowman hit a layup to cut the deficit to eight, then scored again off a steal at half court to bring USCB within six. The Sand Sharks trailed 52–46 heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter belonged to USCB. A Bowman layup off Heyward's third assist opened the quarter, and the Sand Sharks reclaimed the lead for the first time since the opening quarter with a 12–2 run that included a 10–0 burst. During that stretch, USCB forced three turnovers and held USCA to 1-for-7 shooting. Bowman scored six points and Gattozzi added four in the first four minutes of the quarter. The Sand Sharks extended their lead to as many as seven with just over two minutes remaining. Bowman scored 15 points in the final quarter, and the team shot 9-for-12 from the field. Defensively, the Sand Sharks forced nine fourth-quarter turnovers to complete the comeback win 72-64.
Bowman's 28 points set a new career high and tied for the second-most all-time by a Sand Shark in women's basketball.
The Sand Sharks return to action Saturday afternoon at Lander, with tip-off scheduled for 1:30 p.m. USCB will host Augusta on December 10th for its first home conference game of the season.
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