Savannah Steel Second-Half Rally Falls Short in 85-81 Loss at Greensboro Groove in Upshot League Opening Night
UPSHOT Savannah Steel

Savannah Steel Second-Half Rally Falls Short in 85-81 Loss at Greensboro Groove in Upshot League Opening Night

Published on May 15, 2026 under UPSHOT League (UPSHOT)
Savannah Steel News Release


GREENSBORO, NC - The Savannah Steel's inaugural run in the UPSHOT League started with plenty of friction on opening night, dropping a gritty, high-stakes road battle to the Greensboro Groove, 85-81. Despite mounting a massive second-half comeback and threatening late in the fourth quarter, Savannah couldn't overcome a critical late-game run spearheaded by Greensboro Groove's Diamond Johnson, who finished the night with 30 points.

First Quarter: Back-and-Forth Battle

Greensboro's Kristin Williams put up the first points of the game, but Kharyssa Richardson quickly answered to get Savannah on the board. Harmoni Turner locked in early with a three-pointer, and moments later, Que Morrison snagged a steal and hit both free throws to give the Steel their first lead of the night at 7-5.

Savannah found rhythm late in the frame. Megan McConnell sparked a transition bucket, feeding Lauryn Taylor for a mid-range score. Zee Spearman made her presence felt immediately after entering, winning a jump ball and converting an offensive rebound into a put-back. Armed with active paint defense from Sydney Shaw and strong rebounding from Taylor, the Steel closed the first quarter ahead, 23-20.

Second Quarter: Greensboro Takes Control

The second quarter belonged to the Groove. Mya Hollingshed caught fire from deep, hit back-to-back buckets, and completely shifted the momentum. Savannah's offense stalled, marred by missed layups and turnovers. Morrison tried to keep the Steel afloat single-handedly, recording back-to-back steals, but Savannah struggled to convert on the other end.

A flurry of Greensboro transition plays and a definitive defensive stop forced Savannah into its first timeout of the game. Out of the huddle, Shaw hit a crucial three and Taylor buried a bank shot, but a late shot-clock violation plagued the Steel's final possession of the half. Groove outscored Steel by 12 in the period, taking a 43-34 lead into the locker room.

Third Quarter: The Steel Claw Back

Savannah responded with an aggressive defensive adjustment in the third. Iyana Moore opened the scoring with a bucket and followed it up with an and-1 conversion.

The Steel's defense, anchored by Richardson and Morrison, began turning Greensboro over. Morrison intercepted a pass and beat the buzzer with a deep three-pointer as the shot clock expired, drawing Savannah within striking distance. After Turner executed a clever pass-fake to score, the Steel forced their fourth jump ball of the night. Petree converted off the ensuing possession to cut the deficit to two.

In the final seconds of the quarter, Lasha Petree blocked a Greensboro shot on one end and rushed down court to find Olivia Cochran for a layup, closing the gap to 59-57 heading into the final stretch.

Fourth Quarter: Late Flurry Falls Short

Savannah carried that momentum straight into the fourth. Ariel Colón hit a three-pointer off a Cochran assist, and Turner followed with a step-back triple to recapture the lead at 63-61. Petree then capped off an 8-2 run with a driving layup, forcing a Greensboro timeout. Turner continued her aggressive play, drawing a foul on a three-point attempt and sinking all three free throws.

However, Greensboro's Diamond Johnson took over the final five minutes. Following a sequence of Steel turnovers, including a costly double-dribble and a missed pass, Johnson hit a crucial three to give Greensboro the lead. A 10-1 run by the Groove put Savannah in an 81-75 hole with just over two minutes remaining.

The Steel refused to fold. Utilizing a full-court press, Morrison forced a late steal and executed a 2-on-1 break, feeding Spearman for a layup to cut the lead to 83-80 with under 30 seconds left. Forced to foul, the Steel sent the Groove to the line. Morrison managed to draw a late foul and hit a free throw with 24.1 seconds left, but the Steel ran out of time to orchestrate a final comeback, falling 85-81.

Up Next

The Savannah Steel will have a quick turnaround to avenge their opening night loss. They face off against the Greensboro Groove again Saturday, May 16, tipping off at 4:00 PM.

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UPSHOT League Stories from May 15, 2026


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