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By: Richard Navratil

COLUMBUS – The combined efforts of Michelle Mitchell, Britteny Tatum and Gabby Williams helped the 14^th-ranked Columbus State University women's basketball team to a ninth straight victory defeating Georgia College 62-52 on Saturday. The Peach Belt Conference matchup took place in the Lumpkin Center.

Columbus State (12-1, 6-0 PBC) was led by Mitchell, who came off the bench for the first time in her CSU career, adding 17 points and seven rebounds. Both Williams and Tatum finished with identical numbers of nine points and four rebounds each.
 
"Our girls knew how big of a game this was," head coach Jonathan Norton stated. "They really dialed in their focus, which started with practice yesterday and had that laser-like focus in shootaround.

"I was really proud of our defensive effort today. That team can really shoot the ball and to hold them to 34 percent from the field was huge."
 
Georgia College (13-2, 5-1 PBC) got on the board first and held a 7-4 lead three minutes in. It would be the biggest, and last, lead of the afternoon for the visitors.
 
Two straight deep three-pointers by Tatum put the Lady Cougars back on top and CSU extended the lead out to 20-13 at the end of the quarter behind triples from Brea Walker and Erin Morrow.
 
Mitchell's form came into play 17 seconds into quarter number two, increasing the lead to nine with a basket, starting a 12-4 run that saw the Lady Cougars stretch the lead to 15. Tatum connected again from outside and Williams hit her only three of the game to make it 35-20 with under three minutes remaining in the first half.

Georgia College responded with five straight points from the free throw line and the Lady Cougars took a 36-25 lead into the locker room at half.

Ashley Asouzu scored on the opening possession of the third quarter as the Lady Cougars sprinted out of the gates with five straight points forcing a GC timeout up 41-25. After a Bobcat make, Ashley Johnson and Mitchell each knocked down shots to open up the largest CSU lead to that point at 45-27.
 
The Bobcats were able to cut the lead down to 11 late in the quarter, but Columbus State took a 50-37 lead into the final 10 minutes.
 
Brea Walker and Eryn Cochran hit back-to-back threes to open up the fourth for the Lady Cougars giving CSU a 56-37 cushion. From there, the CSU offense went quiet, netting just two points over the next five minutes.

The Lady Cougar defense stood tall though, allowing GC to only get as close as 10 before the Lady Cougars were able to ice the game at the free throw line.

Columbus State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) overall and hit a season high eight three pointers.

The Lady Cougar defense held the Bobcats to just 34 percent (17-of-50) from the field.

Columbus will now hit the road for matchups with North Georgia on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and Augusta on Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff Wednesday is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Dahlonega, Ga.