After winning their last game at the buzzer against Middle Georgia Tech, Georgia Northwestern would see another last second play decide a home game. With the scoreboard locked up at 55, Rome’s Angela Little would draw a foul and knock down a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining to earn a 57-55 win. However, Little is 5-foot-5 forward for four-year program Toccoa Falls College.
After a Lady Eagles timeout with just 16 seconds remaining, the ball would end up in the hands of Little who would draw the final foul of the game. Hitting three three-pointers for the road team would not compare to Little’s final two tosses from the charity stripe that sealed the win for Toccoa Falls (8-11). Little would score 15 on the night, including three three-pointers.
“I remember the excitement in the locker room in the last game we won at the buzzer,” said Lady Cats Head Coach Jim Williams. “It was the exact opposite feeling tonight. It was one incredible game.” Georgia Northwestern trailed by only a point, 30-29, at the intermission. However, the two-year program would only hold the lead a handful of times for short spurts.
A last second shot by the Lady Cats (2-6, 2-5) to give them their third win of the season would miss the mark giving Toccoa Falls the road victory. “They have a first-class program,” said Williams. “This was a huge learning experience for us. You want the win. But we’ll take this chance to grow. When you lose by one basket in games like these, it lets you know where you are in the process. We’re making huge strides.”
Lady Cats guard Shakenda Stallings (Cedartown) led the way with 13 points in the home loss. Point guard Mia Morrow (Rome) and forward Jessica Williams (Pepperell) dropped in ten points a pop. 5-foot-10 freshman forward Rebecca Weatherbee from Fort Myers, Florida led all Lady Eagle scorers with 16 points.
The inaugural season of Lady Cats basketball continues tonight in Carrollton, Georgia as they hit the road to battle conference foe, West Georgia Tech. The Lady Golden Knights topped Georgia Northwestern by one point in the Lady Cats season-opener in November, 63-62. “That first game we went 17-of-42 from the free throw line,” said Williams. “We are going to see just how much we’ve grown on Saturday night.”
For more information on Lady Cats athletics at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, contact the GNTC Office of Sports Information at 706.764-3813 or e-mail to dfoley@gntc.edu. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is the largest college in Northwest Georgia with an annual enrollment of nearly 10,000 students.
Georgia Northwestern (55) – Day 8, Mia Morrow 10, Shakenda Stallings 13, Crosby, Philpot, Watts 8, McGee 6, Jessica Williams 10.
Toccoa Falls (57) – Colquitt 2, Moore 2, Richards, Antonioli 7, Rebecca Weatherbee 16, Estill 7, Crapse 6, Powell 2, Angela Little 15.
Halftime Score – 30-29, Toccoa Falls