Steel Fall to Waves, 78-56
Published on July 10, 2026 under UPSHOT League (UPSHOT)
Savannah Steel News Release
SAVANNAH, GA - The short-handed Savannah Steel fought valiantly through a depleted rotation, but the league-leading Jacksonville Waves proved too much to handle, pulling away for a decisive 76-58 victory at Enmarket Arena on Friday night. With the win, Jacksonville takes a commanding 2-0 lead in this high-stakes five-game series, continuing their regular-season dominance over the Steel.
The contest opened as a defensive gridlock, with Jacksonville holding a slim 8-6 advantage ahead of the first media timeout. Coming out of the huddle, the Waves flipped the script with a rapid 9-2 run to seize control of the tempo. From there, Jacksonville dictated the pace by turning defensive stops into transition buckets, outscoring Savannah in every single quarter to lead by as many as 29 points. The Waves showcased highly balanced execution, shooting an efficient 51.7% from the field and getting double-figure scoring from Shyanne Sellers (14 points), Rennia Davis (12 points), and Jasmine Walker (11 points). Despite missing a key piece in Adut Bulgak, Jacksonville's bench stepped up heavily with timely contributions from Madison Griggs and Brianna Turnage.
"Early on, it was about our tempo," Jacksonville head coach Jessica Bogia said postgame. "We had to be locked in on the defensive end. Our stops allowed us to run in transition, which allowed us to force the tempo."
Savannah operated under extreme duress, dressed with just seven active players and two coming off the bench. Interim head coach Toccara Ross utilized rapid, hockey-style substitutions to preserve her players' bodies against the relentless Waves attack. Despite the fatigue, the Steel found a major silver lining in the breakout performance of Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda. After a quiet one-point outing on Wednesday, Mwenentanda exploited inside mismatches to drop a team-high 17 points, attacking the rim aggressively alongside Zee Spearman (12 points) and Lauryn Taylor (10 points).
"Jak is special, and her ability to play multiple positions is a real asset for us," Coach Ross remarked on Mwenentanda's performance. "As long as Jak continues to want to score the ball around the rim, it's definitely going to be an asset."
The Steel threw multiple looks at Jacksonville, including stretches of zone defense to disrupt the Waves' rhythm, but ultimately struggled to overcome a tough 30.9% shooting night from the floor. One major bright spot for Savannah was their efficiency at the free-throw line, where they shot an impressive 87.5% (14-of-16) by continuously hunting paint points. Veteran guard Que Morrison, who finished with nine points and three steals, was instrumental in keeping the team anchored. Ross praised Morrison's vocal leadership in the locker room, noting that her veteran did an exceptional job keeping morale high amidst a grueling stretch.
Looking ahead to Sunday's critical Game 3, the Steel expect to be reinforced by the return of key athletic depth in Alisia Jenkins and Lasha Petree. Both the coaching staff and players emphasized that adding fresh bodies will be paramount to winning the rebounding battle and limiting turnovers as they fight to extend the series.
"For us, it's always going to come down to rebounding and turnovers," Morrison added. "If we can limit those and make those into more shot attempts, this game would have gone differently. Bringing some fresh bodies back will definitely help."
The Savannah Steel will look to pull out a win against the lea gue-lea ding Jacksonville Waves on Sunday, July 12, with a 3 p.m. afternoon tipoff. For single-game or season tickets, visit the Savannah Steel website or call (912) 494-2868 for more information or to purchase.
UPSHOT League Stories from July 10, 2026
- Steel Fall to Waves, 78-56 - Savannah Steel
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
