Box Score NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Nov. 11, 2022) - Georgian Court Women's Basketball kicked off their 2022-23 campaign Friday night against Southern Connecticut State at the James Moore Fieldhouse. This is the second straight season the Lions and Owls met in the season opener, but this year saw different results. After getting off to an 85-80 win last season, the Lions dropped their opener this year to the Owls, 70-55.

The Lions scored the first points of the game on an Erika Aspajo jumper on their first possession. From there, GCU raced out to a 10-4 lead, getting a three from Aspajo as well. The offense went cold though and Southern Connecticut went on a 7-0 run over 3:37 to take their first lead, 11-10.

Georgian Court grabbed the lead back as the first quarter was coming to a close. On their final possession, the Owls hit a three in the closing seconds to end the quarter up one, 15-14.

The Lions hung around in the second, but were never able to recapture the lead. The Owls pushed the lead to eight before GCU cut that in half before the break, going into the half down four, 30-26.

Southern Connecticut State extended their lead early in the second half, scoring the first nine points for a 39-26 lead, their largest of the game. Imani Gillette ended the 9-0 run with a layup, but the damage had been done. GCU got the lead back down to 10, 49-39, following a Savawn Hughes layup, but never back into single digits.

Still up 10 early in the fourth, SCSU went on a 17-7 run to put the game away, going up 20, 70-50. The Lions scored the final five points of the game, but it wasn't enough as the Owls took the opener, 70-55. 

The loss breaks a streak of three straight Georgian Court season opening victories.

The Lions will look for their first win of the season tomorrow evening at New Haven. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.