Determination and Elite Bench Depth Fuel Steel Victory
Published on June 24, 2026 under UPSHOT League (UPSHOT)
Savannah Steel News Release
SAVANNAH, GA - The Savannah Steel are officially back in the win column. After a grueling two-and-a-half weeks and a heavy five-game losing streak, the Steel orchestrated a commanding 90-74 victory over the Greensboro Groove at Enmarket Arena. While the matchup marked the first collective victory for a newly expanded roster, the win itself was defined by a desperate, hungry core that simply refused to leave the home floor without a checkmark in the win column.
A Defensive Blueprint and a Statement Third Quarter
The turning point of the game came entirely out of defensive grit. Holding a narrow two-point lead at halftime, Head Coach Coretta Brown challenged her team to anchor down on defense for the second half, and the strategy worked to perfection. The Steel held the Groove to a stagnant 12 points in the third quarter on a dismal 25% shooting performance.
"I thought the defense was good," Coach Brown noted post-game. "I thought Lasha, with her length on Diamond Johnson, who is the league's leading scorer, continues to be great for us."
By neutralizing Johnson and holding her to just 4 points on the night, Savannah turned a tight battle into a runaway, possession-by-possession clinic, leading for nearly the entire game.
Unmatched Second-Unit Firepower
If there was any doubt about Savannah's organizational depth, the numbers put it to rest. The Steel bench utterly demolished Greensboro's reserves, outscoring them 52 to 8. Leading the second-unit charge was rookie sensation Zee Spearman, who put on a clinic by racking up 19 points off the bench, showing exactly how much she has matured under the physical demands of the league.
Coach Brown highlighted that this depth is the true identity of the team, built well before the roster shifted:
"Z is figuring it out, and it's such a joy to see, Brown stated." "I think she's starting to figure out the physicality and what it is that we expect from her. I've literally told them probably every single day since this group got together that we are the deepest team in the league. Any given night, any of my guards could go for 30 plus... any of my post players could go for 30 plus. Having that depth is going to help us in the long run."
Learning on the Fly
While the evening was a major relief, Coach Brown remains highly focused on execution. The Steel still gave up 11 offensive rebounds and coughed up 14 turnovers, areas Brown emphasized will remain a focal point as the team continues to stabilize.
With three new roster additions experiencing their very first taste of victory with the team, including rookie Ndjakalenga Mwenetanda, who confidently banked in a late triple, the challenge moving forward is translating this breakthrough into long-term chemistry. The group has only officially been on the floor together for about two weeks, meaning the playbook is still being simplified.
"It's the integration," Brown explained regarding the roster flow. "I've done some things as a head coach to try to minimize and simplify that transition for a lot of them."
Coach Brown's message to her team going forward was simple: "The more we can continue to actually have practices and games like this and learn from each other, that chemistry will get better, and once that chemistry gets better, it could be really scary."
Brown said her team was hungry and desperate for a win and was not going to lose on the court today. The five-game skid is over, snapped not by a quick fix but by a young team growing up, defending their home floor, and playing with the desperation required to win at the professional level.
The Steel will be back in action on Friday, June 26, with tipoff at 7 PM, against the Greensboro Groove for the second time in this 5-game series, looking to continue the win streak. For single-game and season tickets, visit the Savannah Steel website or call (912) 494-2868 for more information.
UPSHOT League Stories from June 24, 2026
- Determination and Elite Bench Depth Fuel Steel Victory - Savannah Steel
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