Short-handed Savannah Steel fall to league-leading Jacksonville Waves, drop sixth straight
Playing with just eight players, the Savannah Steel battled the league-leading Jacksonville Waves before falling 83-76 Friday night.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —
Despite dressing just eight players, the Savannah Steel battled the league-leading Jacksonville Waves until the final minute before falling 83-76 on Friday night.
The loss was Savannah’s sixth straight, while Jacksonville used a strong second half and its depth to improve its hold atop the UPSHOT League standings.
The Steel led for much of the first half behind a standout performance from guard Lasha Petree. Savannah opened the game with an 11-0 run, and Petree scored nine first-quarter points as the Steel took a 21-20 lead after one quarter.
Savannah continued to dictate the tempo in the second quarter, forcing Jacksonville into several turnovers while building a five-point advantage. Alisia Jenkins helped the Steel maintain the lead by knocking down all eight of her free throw attempts in the first half, giving Savannah a 40-38 halftime advantage.
Jacksonville turned the game in the third quarter.
The Waves took control behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Adut Bulgak and tightened up defensively, limiting Savannah’s offensive opportunities while taking a 65-57 lead into the fourth.
The Steel refused to go away.
Ta’Mia Scott, making her Savannah debut after being acquired in a trade from the Greensboro Groove, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Steel within striking distance. Savannah trimmed the deficit to four points in the closing minutes after Petree came up with a steal and converted a layup, but Jacksonville answered at the free-throw line to seal the victory.
Petree led the Steel with a strong all-around performance, while Jenkins added key scoring from the free-throw line. Scott provided an immediate spark in her first game with the team.
Jacksonville was paced by Bulgak, whose third-quarter scoring helped swing the momentum, while the Waves’ rebounding and deeper rotation proved to be the difference over the final 20 minutes.
Savannah (6-game losing streak) will get another shot at the league leaders on Sunday when the two teams meet again in Jacksonville. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.