Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Charlotte Crown clinched final UPSHOT League championship berth, extended its winning streak to eight games, will face the Jacksonville Waves on Aug. 29.
- Free throws and turnovers proved decisive: Charlotte Crown 27-for-33 at line; Savannah Steel committed 23 turnovers.
- Savannah Steel lost again, extending skid to 11 games, despite bright spots from JJ Quinerly, NaJai Pollard, and Lasha Petree.
Charlotte clinches championship berth with win over Savannah Steel
Savannah Steel show flashes but fall to Charlotte Crown as the losing streak reaches 11 games.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
ABOVE VIDEO: MEET THE VOICE OF THE SAVANNAH STEEL
The Savannah Steel came up short Wednesday night, falling 85-73 to the Charlotte Crown at Bojangles Coliseum.
The loss extends Savannah’s losing streak to 11 games as the Steel continue adjusting following recent roster changes.
With the win, Charlotte extended its winning streak to eight games and clinched the final spot in the UPSHOT League’s inaugural championship game on Aug. 29. The Crown will face the Jacksonville Waves in the title matchup.
Charlotte controlled the game from the opening tip, never trailing during the 40-minute contest.
League-leading scorer Deja Kelly led the way for the Crown with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Reigan Richardson added 16 points and went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. KK Deans also scored 14 points for Charlotte.
Free throws played a major role in the outcome, with Charlotte finishing 27-for-33 from the line compared to Savannah’s 15-for-23 performance.
The Steel struggled with turnovers throughout the night, committing 23 giveaways that led to 19 Charlotte points.
Despite the loss, Savannah had several bright spots. Newcomer JJ Quinerly made her UPSHOT League debut and finished with 13 points and two assists. NaJai Pollard recorded a season-high 16 points while shooting 7-of-9 from the field, and Lasha Petree led all Steel scorers with 19 points.
Savannah will look to bounce back quickly with another matchup against Charlotte on Saturday, Aug. 8, at 4 p.m. The Steel continue searching for their first win since early July as the regular season continues.
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