The Georgia Highlands College women’s basketball team recently competed in the GCAA conference tournament, but came up just short.

At the championship game on March 4, the 2nd ranked Lady Chargers faced the 1st ranked South Georgia Tech, the highest seed, and fell 65-63. They finished runner-up in the GCAA.

According to Brandan Harrell, women’s head coach, if the Lady Chargers would have won the GCAA championship game, they would have played in a district tournament. If they won the district, they would have made it to the NJCAA national tournament.

The GCAA tournament started on Feb. 28 at the Floyd campus gym.

The 2nd ranked Lady Chargers faced the 8th ranked Andrew College in this game. GHC won by a score of 57-53.

Since the Lady Chargers won this game, they advanced to the GCAA Final Four. The Final Four game took place on March 3 at South Georgia Tech in Americus, Ga.

On March 3, the Lady Chargers played the 3rd ranked East Georgia State. They defeated East Georgia State 56-49. Because GHC won this game, they advanced to the GCAA championship game on March 4.

Brandan Harrell, women’s head basketball coach, said that his team “battled and played hard” in the GCAA conference tournament.

Harrell said, “I thought the last couple weeks of the season, we played really well. This team overcame a lot throughout the course of the year and finished the season playing our best basketball.”

Pam Diokpara, sophomore for the Lady Chargers, said that she feels like she played the best she could. She said that the team “really came a long way.”

Diokpara said, “Toward the end, that whole weekend as a whole, we played the best that I have ever seen.”

Kateryna Khomenko, freshman for the Lady Chargers, said, “I’m really proud of how we ended the season. I think it will be a great start for next year.”

Elizabeth Newberry, freshman for the Lady Chargers that redshirted this season, said that during the GCAA championship game, everyone played as a team. She said, “At the beginning of the season, I did not see us making it that far.”