AMERICUS — Get it together basketball fans.
The Georgia Southwestern women’s basketball team is having the most success this season since joining NCAA Division II.
But yet, where’s the crowd, or in layman terms, the 6th man.
The Lady Hurricanes lost a 2-point decision, 56-54, to No. 15 Clayton State on Wednesday night with 242 people in attendance. They were a shot away from tying the game in the final seconds, and Clayton State could have been distracted more on its end if fans were in the student section — or even more fans in stands — to make some noise.
The men battled shot for shot with the Lakers before a forced 3-pointer at the end helped Clayton State escape 64-63. Only 20 people were in the student section on the court when the game started, and they were all student-athletes. The attendance for the game was 361.
Before the final 16 seconds of the game when a Clayton State player attempted two free throws to give the Lakers the one-point lead, the loudest the crowd had been all night was when coach Mike Leeder picked up a technical foul, and the chant of "Leeder" ensued. The other time was when GSW staff threw out Crunch bars as part of its marketing tools.
That's just sad.
Both games could have possibly turned out different if the crowd was into the game making noise.
The GSW women are 4-5 in the conference and 9-11 overall this season with a much improved team after they won eight games last year and three in conference play.
The likes of Brittany Reynolds and Whitley Wiltz could very well be in the talk for making All-Conference this year, and a few of the newcomers like Jessica Bivins could be as well.
Bivins scored 30 points and drained six 3-pointers in the team’s win against Augusta State last Thursday.
It’s been five seasons since that feat was last achieved and six for a Lady Hurricane to drain six threes.
GSW lost to Lander — No. 10 in the country — on Saturday with a measly 203 people in attendance.
Coach Kelly Britsky talks of defending the home court to make sure the Lady Hurricanes clinch their first berth in the Peach Belt Tournament. The team has to play well to do that, but it also means fans are needed to make the Storm Dome loud and a hard place to play.
Even with the men’s game on Saturday, which had an attendance of 277. The game eventually went into overtime and the Hurricanes lost, but where was the crowd when the Bearcats had the ball with under a minute left and down three or in overtime. It was basically silent for the most part. The student section was almost empty.
Attendance for Lady Hurricanes’ games last season was last in the conference at 299. They’ve already won more games this year than they did last year, and the attendance is only up to 302; it’s 346 in conference play.
GSW is currently in fourth place in the West Division, meaning if the season ended today, the Lady Hurricanes would be in the conference tournament.
The 302 average attendance ranks ninth this season out of 13 schools, but that’s with two new schools and the attendance dropping for three others. And for the men, it’s not much better. They are 11th in home attendance at 441.
The Lady Hurricanes are a growing program, and they need support, that sixth man.
After Saturday’s games at Montevallo, GSW’s next four are at home before finishing out with two on the road.
Granted, the teams have to do their part, so do yours.
You want GSW to be successful, go support them. Both teams need a crowd to disrupt opponents. They deserve it.
Local Sports
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Chris Fenn
GSW needs 6th man
Basketball teams need fans to help defend home court
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