West Georgia defeats Bellarmine 87-85
West Georgia Edges Bellarmine in Thrilling Conference Showdown
In a back-and-forth battle, West Georgia outlasted visiting Bellarmine 87-85 on the road at The Coliseum, capping off an intense conference matchup that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats.
Trailing by 15 points at halftime, West Georgia rallied behind senior Shelton Williams-Dryden's dominant performance to take a surprising 16-point lead. However, Bellarmine refused to back down, pulling within two points in the final minutes before West Georgia emerged victorious.
Williams-Dryden was unstoppable for West Georgia, scoring 28 points on 55.6% shooting from the field and grabbing 14 rebounds, while Josh Smith added five assists and 21 points off the bench. The senior duo's chemistry proved too much for Bellarmine to handle.
For Bellarmine, Jack Karasinski led the charge with 21 points, but his team struggled to find its rhythm on offense. Despite a strong shooting performance from beyond the arc, Bellarmine couldn't overcome West Georgia's stifling defense, particularly in the paint where they outscored their visitors by 20 points.
The game's largest lead came courtesy of Williams-Dryden, who scored eight consecutive points for West Georgia to put his team up by 16. However, Bellarmine refused to quit, and Karasinski led a furious comeback that left the Coliseum crowd on its feet as the final buzzer sounded.
In the end, it was West Georgia's resilience and clutch performance from Williams-Dryden that secured the win. The victory marks another significant test for the conference contender, who will look to build momentum heading into their next matchup.
Key Stats:
* Shelton Williams-Dryden (West Georgia): 28 points, 14 rebounds
* Josh Smith (West Georgia): 5 assists, 21 points
* Jack Karasinski (Bellarmine): 21 points
With the win, West Georgia moves closer to conference supremacy, while Bellarmine looks to bounce back from its first loss in league play. The stage is set for another thrilling matchup as these two teams continue their push for the top spot in the standings.