CARROLLTON, Ga. – In a game that featured 11 lead changes and 10 ties, it was the West Georgia Wolves women's basketball team coming out victorious in a 69-64 Gulf South Conference classic on Monday at The Coliseum.
 
It was the first win for West Georgia (10-4, 6-4 GSC) in the series since 2018-19, breaking a 10-game skid against Lee (9-5, 7-3 GSC).
 
"I am speechless. If I had to pick an emotion right now, it'd just be proud," said head coach Joanna Reitz after the Wolves defeated a perennial power to earn their sixth consecutive win. "Proud because we gutted it. It wasn't our prettiest game on either end of the floor, but we found a way, we made plays down the stretch, and I'm just so proud of them and their hard work starting to pay off."
 
The Wolves played primarily with just seven players, led by Zuriyah Davis who played all 40 minutes and led the Wolves with 16 points. Davis, the top scorer in the GSC entering the game, went head-to-head with the second-leading scorer, Lee's Mallory Hampton, and Hampton impressed the home crowd on Monday with a season-high 36 points.
 
It started out as a defensive battle as neither team could get much offense going in the game's opening quarter. The two teams combined to shoot 6-of-29 in the opening quarter and UWG led 9-7 after 10 minutes.
 
Lee then went on a scoring drought, not scoring until the 5:34 mark of the second, allowing UWG to stretch the lead to 17-7. A quick Lee burst cut it back to five before Zuriyah Davis sent the game to the media with her first three-pointer of the game.
 
The Flames would eventually end the quarter on an 11-3 run and make it a two-point UWG advantage at the break.
 
Out of the break, Lee would take their first lead since the game's opening basket at 33-31 at the 7:37 mark of the third quarter. The lead would change a handful of times over the final seven minutes of the quarter, with the Flames leading, 48-47.
 
The fourth quarter alone had five lead changes as the Wolves and Flames battled it out down the stretch. With just over two minutes remaining, the game was tied 61-61 and by the 49 second mark, the Wolves used the free throw line to go up, 64-61. Lee then cut it to a one-point game twice, the final time at 65-64. On the ensuing inbound play, the Wolves got a big defensive block from K'Nari Holliday and were able to finish the game off at the free throw line and the defensive end of the court.
 
"We made a mistake defensively on that play, and K'Nari covered it for us," Reitz said of Holliday's big defensive stop. "I'm just proud of her. She knew the assignment in front of her and she took care of it."
 
Holliday finished the game with a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
 
"She had a double-double and sat the majority of the first half because of foul trouble," Reitz added. "She just came in on both ends of the floor down the stretch and we tried to go her, and she answered the call. I'm just proud of her."
 
Mykah Anderson and Jada Powell also had double-figures, adding 10 points each while Katelyn Dunning and Aliyah Washington added nine each. Dunning's six assists was a game-high.
 
The Wolves, now winners of six straight, look ahead to another quick turnaround on Wednesday, hosting Delta State, but for tonight, Reitz and the Wolves will enjoy the massive victory.
 
"I'm proud of our hard work paying off, because people are finally getting to see the players I coach every day," Reitz concluded. "Their effort, their attitude, their approach, so it doesn't always work out like this, but when it does, it's rewarding."
 
Tip-time on Wednesday is set for 5:30 p.m. from The Coliseum.