LAKEWOOD, NJ (Feb. 15, 2025) - It was a wild one in Lakewood in Georgian Court Women's Basketball final regular season home game. In front of their largest crowd of the season, the Lions hit a buzzer-beating three to force overtime against Goldey-Beacom. They couldn't quite finish things though, falling by one, 78-77.

How it Happened
• The back-and-forth game saw 14 ties and 12 total lead changes. 
• Georgian Court finished the game shooting 46.2%, nearly 10 percentage points higher than GBC who finished at 37.3%.
• Neither team was strong from three as the Lions went 5-19 and the Lightning 6-23. 
• A lot came down to the foul line. GCU was tagged with 31 fouls while GBC just 16. The Lightning went 28-38 at the line and the Lions just 12-17.
• Each team turned the ball over 23 times.
• Goldey-Beacom put back 18 second chance points on 19 offensive rebounds. They won the rebounding edge 41-34.
1st Quarter
• Goldey-Beacom was red hot to start and built an 18-4 lead more than six minutes into the game.
• The Lightning were 6-12 overall, 3-6 from three to start the game while the Lions turned the ball over seven times during that stretch.
• Georgian Court collected themselves getting a three from Maria Stanescu.
• Niyell McCargo, Karissa Smedley and Jade Dickson all scored down the stretch as the 14-point lead was trimmed to nine after one, 22-13.
2nd Quarter
• The lead stayed in single-digits through the rest of the half.
• Georgian Court fought back into the game, getting a layup and-one from Imani Gillette to get to within two, 27-25.
• Following a turnover, Julia Whesper scored a transition layup and the game was tied at 27 with 4:44 left in the half.
• Gillette gave GCU their first lead with a basket. She scored Georgian Court's final eight points of the half and gave GCU a 35-31 lead at the break.
3rd Quarter
• The teams were trading blows the entire third quarter, with neither team going up by more than four.
• Rory Ciskowski buried a three to put the Lightning up four, 50-46 with 2:17 left in the period.
• Georgian Court finished the frame on a 9-3 run, going 4-4 over 2:20 and forcing two turnovers.
• Samantha Jones came up with a steal in the closing seconds and her pass ahead hit Stanescu who scored a layup sending GCU up two, 55-53, into the final quarter.
4th Quarter
• The Lions couldn't pull far ahead in the fourth, despite leading for much of it.
• Gillette put GCU back up four, 63-59, at the line with 2:16 left in regulation.
• Goldey-Beacom answered with five straight, two at the line and a three-point play, getting back ahead 64-63.
• They pushed the lead to four, 67-63, and seemed to have things in control with 24 second left.
• Julia Whesper made a layup with nine seconds left to cut the lead in half.
• Needing to foul, GCU did and GBC was just 1-2, giving the Lions a chance. Again it was Whesper who's desperation three hit off the backboard and into the net as the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime
Overtime
• Neither team led by more than three in overtime. Georgian Court scored first as Jones found Gillette for a layup.
• Now trailing by three, 75-72, nearing a minute to play, Stanescu connected for a three to tie things at 75 with 1:11 left.
• Goldey-Beacom corralled and offensive layup and a foul sent them to the line where they made 1-2 to grab a one-point lead with 39 seconds.
• Georgian Court answered with two free throws of their own as Karissa Smedley tied and gave GCU a 77-76 lead with 32 seconds to play.
• Lydia Betz made a layup to give the Lightning the lead back and Jones' attempt kicked off the rim as Goldey-Beacom survived 78-77.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Imani Gillette was 7-8 from the floor with 19 points and five rebounds.
• Maria Stanescu scored 13 with five assists.
• Julia Whesper chipped in 11 with five boards and a game-high six assists.
• Jade Dickson and Niyell McCargo each scored 10. Dickson was a rebound short of a double-double.
• Karissa Smedley scored nine with four rebounds.

For the Lightning
• Julie McCarron scored a team-best 18 with five rebounds.
• Rory Ciskowski was 4-8 from three for 16 points with 10 rebounds.
• Katie Yoder contributed 17 points with eight rebounds.
• Julie Kulesza was 11-12 at the line and scored 13 points.

News and Notes
• Five Lions scored in double-figures.
• The 12 lead changes and 14 ties are a new single-game high this season.
• Niyell McCargo scored her 400th career point.
• Imani Gillette grabbed her 350th career rebound.

Up Next
• Georgian Court is on the road for their final three games of the season. That starts Wednesday with a trip to Holy Family starting at 6 pm.