LaGrange women hosts GSAC co-leader Piedmont on Saturday
Jan. 18, 2007

GAME FACTS – The LaGrange College women's basketball team is coming off a disappointing 62-53 road loss to GSAC foe Spelman on Wednesday. The loss stopped the Panthers' three-game winning streak and dropped their season record to 8-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play. Piedmont edged Agnes Scott 56-54 at home Wednesday in a GSAC game. The win upped the Lady Lions overall record to 8-5 and 4-1 in the GSAC. Piedmont is tied with Maryville for first in the conference.

THE SERIES – Piedmont leads the series 15-1. The Lady Lions have won 10 straight in the series. Last season, Piedmont won 68-36 at LaGrange and 77-65 at Piedmont. The Panthers' only win came in 2002 at Mariotti Gym.

THE COACHES: LaGrange's Kelly Britsky is in her eighth season as the Panthers' women's head coach. She has a career record of 76-120. Britsky guided the Panthers to a 17-11 record during the 2001-2002 season that included a trip to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Tournament.

Britsky played volleyball and softball for the Panthers while earning a degree in History in 1993 and a Masters in Education in 1999. She stayed on as an assistant coach in 1994 when the Panther softball team won a national championship. She left LaGrange for three years to coach basketball, softball, and track at Perry High School in Perry, Ga. before returning in 1997.

Piedmont 's Jamie Childs is in her second season as head coach. She is a Piedmont graduate and a four-year letterman in basketball for the Lady Lions. In her first season at Piedmont, Childs led the Lady Lions to an overall record of 20-7 and 11-3 in the GSAC. Childs was head coach at Middle Georgia College for two years prior to returning to Piedmont. In two seasons at Middle Georgia, Childs was 31-21. She led her 2004-2005 squad to the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association championship game.

ABOUT THE LADY LIONS – Piedmont survived its lowest scoring half since joining NCAA Division III in beating Agnes Scott. Leading 14-7 with seven minutes left in the first half, the Lady Lions went scoreless the rest of the way. They led 14-13 at the break, a new school record for lowest first half points scored and lowest combined points. In the second half Piedmont shot 50 percent from the floor and forced 11 turnovers. The Lady Lions lost the lead with seven minutes to go but went on a 9-0 run to retake the lead for good. Sophomore Kayla Duncan led all scorers with 27 points. She also had nine rebounds and a game-high six blocks. Junior forward Nikki Sosebee added a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sosebee leads the Lady Lions in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In the GSAC, she is fourth in scoring and fifth in rebounding.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS – The Panthers could not hold a 38-31 halftime lead against Spelman. It marked the first time this season the Panthers have lost a game after leading at halftime. The Panthers shot 57 percent in the first half, but made only three of 30 shots in the second half.

LaTessa Taylor led the Panthers with 12 points. Ebonie Johnson and Shannah Mabry had eight points each. Lindsey Moore had a team-high 10 rebounds. Taylor is leading the Panthers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. She is fifth in scoring and sixth in rebounding in the GSAC.

RECORDS WATCH – LaTessa Taylor need 19 points to reach 500 career points with the Panthers…Taylor is fourth on the all-time steals list with 105, passing Karey Howard, who had 99…Lindsey Moore and Kellee Scandrett are 1-2 in career steals…Moore has 121 and Scandrett 119…Moore became only the third Panther to reach the milestone of 200 free throws made in a career…Scandrett is fifth on the all-time assists list with 103, one behind former player and now assistant coach Ashley McNair …Scandrett is also the career leader in three-pointers made with 102, the only Panther to go over the 100 mark.