Saints Comeback in Season Opener Against East Georgia State College
After being tied 41-41 entering the fourth quarter, Shakiria Chaney made 2 free throws and a three-pointer and Ta'Niya Walker made consecutive layups to give the Saints a 53-47 lead.
Santa Fe, coming off a berth in the state tournament, brought in a new head coach after Chanda Stebbins was hired as the new Director of Athletics for Santa Fe College in May. New Head Coach Russ Jackson is excited to begin the season and is proud of how hard the players have worked to adjust to a new coach and system.
The Saints fell behind early against the East Georgia State Bobcats but came back to take a 27-23 halftime lead. Samari Wilson hit a step-back jump shot from the elbow to extend the lead and gain momentum entering the break.
A made layup and three-pointer by Aissatou Diallo extended the lead to 32-23 to start the second half. The Bobcats, spearheaded by a barrage of free throws, tied the game at 41-41 with 1:42 left. The game remained tied 44-44 entering the fourth quarter.
Shakiria Chaney made both free throws and a three to take a 49-47 lead to start the quarter. Ta'Niya Walker made consecutive layups to extend the lead to 53-47, forcing a Bobcats timeout. Chaney extended the lead to 59-51 with an offensive rebound and putback with 4 minutes left.
The Saints held on to win 74-64.
Santa Fe's leading scorers include Shakiria Chaney with 24 points, Leyah Houston with 13 points, Aissa Diallo with 10 points, and Joey Delancy with 9 points.
Santa Fe's leading rebounders include Leyah Houston with 14 rebounds and Shakiria Chaney with 6 rebounds.
The Saints will play Florida State College at Jacksonville tomorrow, Saturday November 4th at 6:00PM. FSCJ finished last season with a 7-23 overall record and 1-11 conference record.