Savannah Steel falls short against Charlotte Crown, 88-83

SAVANNAH, Ga. —

The Savannah Steel entered Sunday looking to end a monthlong drought, but the Charlotte Crown pulled away in the closing minutes for an 88-83 victory at Bojangles Coliseum.

Charlotte extended its winning streak to 11 games, while Savannah suffered its 13th consecutive loss.

The Steel started quickly, using aggressive offense and sharp execution to build a 10-point lead in the opening quarter. Savannah carried a 28-20 advantage into the second behind newcomer JJ Quinerly, who attacked the basket and connected from long range.

Charlotte answered with 28 points in the second quarter. Perimeter shooting from A.D. Durr and KK Deans helped the Crown erase the deficit and send the teams into halftime tied at 48.

Both teams opened the second half slowly before settling back into rhythm. Savannah built a six-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Charlotte responded and moved ahead with about two minutes remaining. The Crown entered the fourth with a 66-65 advantage.

Charlotte scored the first five points of the final period, but Savannah tightened defensively and regained the lead. The Steel held an 80-79 advantage with 2:53 remaining.

Deja Kelly helped Charlotte take control down the stretch by drawing fouls and converting at the free-throw line. She made 10 of 12 free throws and gave the Crown a four-point lead with 1:30 left.

Quinerly kept Savannah within striking distance, finishing with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Her 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds remaining cut Charlotte’s lead to 86-83.

Kelly then scored the game’s final two points to secure the victory. She finished with 23 points for Charlotte, which won despite limited minutes from Reigan Richardson.

Savannah fell to 7-21, while Charlotte improved to 19-10.

The Steel will visit the Greensboro Groove at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Savannah will close its inaugural regular season with a three-game homestand Aug. 21-23 at Enmarket Arena.