Tigers Battle Warriors in Road Loss

The Brenau Golden Tigers basketball team dropped a close loss to the Southern Wesleyan Warriors by the score of 82-72 on Saturday.

In a closely fought contest, the two teams battled in the first half, with neither team seizing control. Although the Golden Tigers shot 45% from the field in the first half, rebounding and free throw shooting gave the Warriors a six point lead going into the half.

The second half was played at a furious pace as the Golden Tigers continued to try and catch the Warriors. Hot shooting by senior guard Sarah Ward (Elberton, Ga.) kept the Tigers close, cutting the Warrior lead to one-point on six different occasions. However, going down the stretch, the Warriors proved too tough at the free throw line, finally pulling away with the win.

Coach Kris Stewart noted that "My team played really hard. We had some outstanding performances today, but we just couldn't get the lead. It seemed like every time we went on a run, we got a bad bounce, a foul or SWU hit a tough shot. I thought it was a very tough, physical game with the difference coming from our turnovers and SWU's foul shooting. I am disappointed in the outcome, but I couldn't ask for more of an effort from the team".

Ward led the Golden Tigers with a career high 20 points on 7-8 shooting, including 4-5 from three-point range. Gabby Harvey added 13 points and 8 rebounds, while senior post Nikki Reed contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds. Southern Wesleyan was led by Ashley Cooper's 24 points.

The Golden Tigers return to the court Monday to face Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, GA.