MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Augusta University women's basketball team played a Peach Belt Conference contest at Georgia College on Saturday afternoon in the Centennial Center and pulled out a 62-59 overtime thriller.
With the win, Augusta moved to 7-6 overall and 2-4 in the Peach Belt. The Bobcats are now 9-4 overall and 3-3 in the PBC. Augusta entered the game ranked sixth in the PBC East Division, while the GC Bobcats started the day in fifth in the PBC West Division.
Senior Breonna O'Conner matched her season-high 27 points and had a career-best eight steals. Junior Abrea Harris came off the bench to score 15 points and junior Joshlyn Belcher put up 11 points. Sophomore Brianna Middleton grabbed nine rebounds and five steals.
Sydney Cleveland scored 17, LaRice Walker 16, and Alyah McGriff 14 to lead GC. The Bobcats shot 35.8 percent to AU's 32.3 from the floor, but the Jags had 11 second-chance points to GC's five.
O'Conner and Harris led Augusta with nine first-half points, as the Jags went into halftime tied 25-all with GC. Augusta was up by five with a minute left in the half when GC's Sydney Cleveland and Lindsey Reed knocked down baskets to even the game. Both teams made 10 field goals in the first two periods.
Georgia College outscored Augusta 20-10 in the third period, but the Jags came alive in the fourth. Using a 7-0 run with six minutes to go in the game, Augusta tied the game and took a tight game down to the wire.
Lovett made a Jaguar layup with 52 seconds to play for a 54-54 game, before O'Conner put the team up by two with a six-second basket. GC had the ball with three seconds dwindling and found Larice Walker for game-tying bucket that forced overtime.
Cleveland made a free throw to open overtime play, but Belcher answered with two from their charity stripe and then found Brianna Middleton in the paint for a layup. Augusta never dropped the lead and won 62-59 on the road
Augusta hosts the Young Harris Mountain Lions on Monday, Jan. 16 for a MLK Day matchup at 1:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Jags meet the Flagler Saints on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Christenberry Fieldhouse.
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