Panthers outlast Agnes Scott for GSAC win
Jan. 27, 2007

The LaGrange College women's basketball team outlasted Agnes Scott 50-43 on Saturday at the Mariotti Gymnasium in a GSAC contest. The Panthers evened their conference record at 4-4 and improved to 10-8 overall. Agnes Scott dropped to 10-7 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

The Panthers have surpassed last year's win total with seven games left in the regular season. The Panthers also avenged an earlier 50-46 loss and stopped a three-game losing streak to the Scotties.

The game featured a total of 72 turnovers. The Panthers committed 37 of them. The game was similar to the first meeting between the teams, when they combined for 65. The Panthers held the Scotties to 30.5 percent shooting in the game, while shooting 38.5 percent.

Agnes Scott's Nicole Mitchell was the only player to reach double figures. She had a game-high 12 points. Teammate Morgan Smith had a game-high 10 rebounds. LaTessa Taylor led the Panthers with nine points, while Valeree Williams had eight.

The Panthers trailed by as many as seven points in the early going of the first half. Trailing 14-11, the Panthers went on a 14-0 run that bridged the first and second half. The Panthers scored the final 11 points of the first half to lead 22-14.

Kellee Scandrett completed a three-point play at the outset of the second half to push the Panthers' lead to 25-14. Taylor, the Panthers' leading scorer for the season, picked up her fourth foul in the first minute of the half and had to go to the bench.

With Taylor on the bench, the Scotties used their pressure defense to work their way back into the game. Nicole Mitchell's basket cut the Panthers' lead to 39-37 with five minutes left in the game.

Taylor returned to the game and quickly scored on a jumper off an assist from Heather Power to put the Panthers up 41-37. Whitney Morgan got the Scotties within three, 42-39, with two minutes left.

The Panthers used offensive rebounding to score the next three baskets. Shannah Mabry put back a missed shot to make it 44-39. Taylor pulled down an offensive rebound and fed Williams for a basket and then put back a shot herself for a 48-39 lead with 58 seconds left.

The Panthers travel to Atlanta Christian College on Feb. 1 for a non-conference game. Game time is 6 p.m.