BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's basketball team faced Columbus State on Wednesday night. The Cougars used a fast start to build an early lead before a strong fourth quarter helped them pull away late for a 92-68 victory, snapping the Sand Sharks' six-game winning streak.
USCB moves to 14-8 overall and 11-4 in conference play. Columbus State improves to 20-3 with a 14-2 conference mark.
The Sand Sharks were led by Lydia Gattozzi with 20 points, one of three double-figure scorers. Taniyah Bowman added 11 points and dished out a team-high seven assists, while Janiyah Heyward contributed 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Sami Bardonaro opened the scoring with a three-pointer off a Bowman assist to give USCB a 3-0 lead. Columbus State responded by scoring six of the next eight points to take a 6-5 advantage. After a Madison Self layup put the Sand Sharks back in front, 7-6, the Cougars went on a 12-2 run to take the lead at 18-9. During the stretch, Columbus State shot 5-for-6 from the field and forced four turnovers. The Cougars maintained their momentum and led 24-15 at the end of the first quarter.
USCB broke a brief scoring drought early in the second quarter when Bri Pelote finished off Bowman's fourth assist of the game. Heyward helped trim the deficit to five, but a Columbus State three-pointer pushed the lead back to eight. Gattozzi answered with five straight points to pull the Sand Sharks within three at 27-24. The Cougars countered with a 9-0 run to rebuild a double-digit lead at 36-24.
Trailing 41-29 late in the half, USCB closed on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 41-34 at the break.
Gattozzi opened the third quarter scoring with a driving layup for her 12th point of the night, bringing USCB within five. Heyward later made it a six-point game at 53-47 with 4:21 remaining in the quarter, but Columbus State finished the period on a strong run to extend the lead to 66-54 heading into the fourth.
Gattozzi again started the scoring in the final quarter with a pull-up jumper, and Bowman added two more points to pull the Sand Sharks within eight. However, the Cougars responded with a 15-0 run to push the lead to 81-58 with 5:04 remaining. Izellah Kendrick ended the run with a layup off Bowman's seventh assist. Columbus State's largest lead grew to 27 in the final minute as the Cougars secured the 92-68 win.
The Sand Sharks return to action Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Cove on Novant Health Court against Georgia Southwestern State.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
