LAGRANGE, Ga. - The Panthers' Women Basketball Team (9-7, 3-4 Collegiate Conference of the South) dropped their second-straight game at home against the Huntingdon Hawks (7-9, 3-4 CCS) on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25) at Historic Mariotti Gymnasium by a final score of 75-71.  
 
Game Summary 
The first half was a track meet. With only five personal fouls called all half, both teams sped up the pace of the game. LC jumped out to an early lead but found themselves down by one at the end of the first quarter buzzer. LaGrange got down by as many as 10 in the second quarter, but hot Panther three-point shooting cut the lead down to five at the halftime buzzer. Zyhia Johnson led the first half charge for the Panthers, scoring seven points. She added in two rebounds and an assist, respectively. 
 
The second half was a back-and-forth battle. Johnson erupted out of halftime, scoring 11 points in less than five minutes to give LC a lead. The schools traded the lead throughout the third quarter and by its end, the teams were deadlocked at 51. The last quarter produced, as the teams went back and forth. LC took a six-point lead with just five minutes remaining on a Laila Battle lay-in. The Hawks clawed back to take the lead late. The biggest play of the contest happened with just 27 seconds left, when a Johnson basket was called off for an offensive foul, her fifth of the game, with the Panthers down by one. Huntingdon, who struggled from the charity stripe throughout the contest, converted free throws down the stretch to pull out a four-point victory. 
 
Panther of the Game 
Johnson had a heroic effort for LaGrange. The senior guard had 26 points, with 19 of them coming in the second half. She also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal. 
 
Up Next
The Panthers return to CCS play Wednesday (Jan. 29) vs Belhaven, their fourth straight game in the friendly confines of Historic Mariotti Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. with links to stream the game live stats found here.