Georgia Southwestern spoils Albany State women’s season opener

ALBANY — Saturday evening’s 72-53 loss to Georgia Southwestern in the SIAC-Peach Belt Challenge wasn’t exactly the way the Albany State Lady Rams wanted to start their season.

The first half was a statistical nightmare. The Lady Rams (0-1) committed 16 turnovers, shot 8-for-26 from the field and 0-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc and were outrebounded 33-19. Georgia Southwestern’ 33.3 percent shooting kept the game from getting out of reach. ASU still found themselves down 35-21 at the half.

“We didn’t really get into our offense,” Albany State women’s coach Robert Skinner said about his team’s lackluster first half. “Georgia Southwestern pressured our wings and pressured our guards to the point where we never got into our offense. They did such a good job of keeping us out of offense that we continuously turned the ball over time and time again…we never got an opportunity to run our offense in the first half or the second half.”

The Lady Rams did have Artisha Holston on the floor despite the prediction that she wouldn’t be back in action until mid-December to fully recover from a torn meniscus. The preseason Defensive Player of the Year was far from her midseason form but managed to finish as the team’s leading scorer with 15 points as well as seven rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes of action. No other ASU player scored in double digits.

Georgia Southwestern (3-0) started the second half on a 6-2 run and continued to stretch their double-digit lead. While they shot better in the second half — 41.9 percent compared to 30.8 — and outrebounded the Lady Hurricanes 20-19, the Lady Rams still committed 18 turnovers, killing any chance they had at mounting a comeback.

Skinner said the amount of turnovers was a combination of his team still learning the offense, and the Lady Hurricanes’ stifling defense.

“Personally, I don’t think they know what they’re doing,” he said. “Another part of it is Georgia Southwestern was so tenacious that we just really couldn’t get into our sets.”

As bad as the execution was, Skinner said his team’s energy was there.

“I think our personnel did a good job of running the court and getting up and down the floor, I just don’t think we did a good job of executing,” he said.

The Lady Rams will face Columbus state in the SIAC-Peach Belt Challenge today at 6 p.m.