Agnes Scott holds off late rally by Panthers
Jan. 23, 2008

DECATUR, Ga. – Agnes Scott College held off a late LaGrange College rally for a 45-40 win at Woodruff Gym on Wednesday night. The loss dropped the Panthers to 2-4 in the GSAC and 7-10 overall. The win gave the Scotties (9-7, 3-2 GSAC) a sweep of the season series. Agnes Scott won the first meeting 76-70 in double overtime on Jan. 4 in LaGrange.

Jessica Boler led the Panthers with 11 points. Jessica Barba had a team-high 10 rebounds to go with nine points. It was the sixth game for Barba in double figures for rebounds and it was only the second game in the last nine she was held under 10 points.

Jamenda Whitehead had a game-high 12 points to lead Agnes Scott. Janee Blake added 10 points, while Nicole Mitchell had a game-high 13 rebounds. The Panthers held the Scotties' leading scorer, Morgan Smith, to just eight points.

The Panthers held Agnes Scott to 26.7 percent shooting from the floor in the game. But the Panthers committed 29 turnovers, which led to 20 Scottie points. The Panthers hit only 6-of-13 free throws in the game. They shot 38.1 percent from the floor in the game.

Agnes Scott never trailed in the game. The Scotties led 9-2 after the first three minutes. The Panthers got within five points on five occasions the rest of the half. The last coming with 2:37 left in the half after a layup by Shannah Mabry. The Panthers went scoreless the rest of the way as the Scotties took a 25-17 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Scotties built their largest lead. A pair of free throws by Nikki Maples gave the Scotties a 40-29 lead with 7:36 remaining. The Panthers started chipping away at the lead over the next five minutes.

Baskets from Boler and Barba cut the Scotties lead to 42-37 with 2:35 left. Mabry drew the Panthers within three, 43-40, with a 3-pointer with seven seconds left. Blake clinched the win for the Scotties by hitting two free throws with five seconds left.

The Panthers host GSAC-leading Piedmont College on Saturday at 2 p.m.