Box Score

Allen F-30240 4-10,1-4 SIAC

Savannah St. F-632 5-2,1-0 SIAC

Allen F-30240

4-10,1-4 SIAC

Final

Feb. 28, 2021

Savannah St. F-632

5-2,1-0 SIAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Allen F-30240	12	15	27	17	71
Savannah St. F-632	17	21	9	29	76

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/28/2021 6:26:00 PM

Lady Tigers, Led By Gillis and Maxwell, Edge By Allen, 76-71

By Joshua Peacock

SAVANNAH, Ga. – If it ends up being the final game of their COVID-19 shortened season, the Savannah State women's basketball team left it all on the hardwood Sunday in a 76-71 win over Allen University.

An hour and a half before the game, Tiger Arena was quiet and mostly empty. The game day workers and production staff had not yet arrived. There was no music playing. No band. No fans. Just the sound of Savannah State junior Le'Andrea Gillis dropping basket after basket.

Soon Assistant Coach Andy Harre joins her, rebounding the ball as she continues sinking basket after basket in her warmup. Eventually, her team would make its way out for their warmup on the home side leaving Gillis alone on the visitor's side, to shoot and shoot and shoot.

Three hours later, the Lady Tigers are trailing Allen into the fourth quarter of a fast-paced, hard-fought game. At the half, Savannah State held a comfortable 38-27 lead, but Allen clawed their way back into the game with a decimating third quarter, outscoring Savannah State 27-9.

At the 6:52 mark of the fourth quarter, her team trailing 55-61, Gillis pulls back and sinks a 3-pointer, her fourth of the night so far. After opening the first half hitting 3-of-6, she concluded the second period 0-for-2 from outside the arc.

Seconds later, following a turnover from Allen, Gillis again capitalizes, hitting a 3-pointer to cut the visitor's lead to 58-61. The momentum begins to shift. A loud Allen bench is quieted.

Another turnover from Allen, a minute later, and Azhana Maxwell takes advantage with a quick second-chance layup. But the Yellowjackets respond, Kyla Reid sinking a layup in the paint to keep the visitors out front with a 3-point lead and 5:10 to play.

Undeterred, Gillis rears back again at the 4:49 mark and drops her third 3-pointer of the quarter to tie the game at 63. After a mix-up on substitutions, Gillis exits the game for two seconds, before returning. On a hot-streak, she's angry at the mix-up, but quickly settles back into rhythm.

With three minutes ticking away, she misses a 3-pointer, but grabs a rebound on the defensive side and tosses it up to Maxwell who puts away a fast-break layup to notch Savannah State up to a slim 68-67 advantage—their first lead since early in the third quarter.

Time ticking away, Gills hits her fourth 3-pointer of the quarter at the 2:05 mark, lifting the Lady Tigers to a lead they would not relinquish. Following Gillis, Maxwell drains her own 3-pointer a minute later putting a seal on the fifth win of the Lady Tigers season.

Throughout the seven-game season, Savannah State has had different heroes for each of their five wins. On Sunday, it was Gillis and Maxwell who stepped into those roles.

Gillis led the team in scoring, putting away 26 points, hitting 7-of-11 3-point attempts and 7-of-14 field goal shots. All season-high numbers for the junior guard.

Maxwell had her second best outing of the season, scoring 24 points, hitting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, 8-of-16 from the field and a season-high 4-of-6 from the charity strip.

Savannah State scoring leader Bria Gibbs had a rough game. After fouling out in the third period, the junior transfer finished with three points and five rebounds—the first game of the season in which she has not scored double digit points.

Reid led Allen with 28-points, scoring 10-of-13 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Savannah State has no more games on this year's schedule. They could possible receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Division II Championship but will have to wait until March 7 for the selection committee to make their decision.