CARROLLTON, Ga. (Interstat) — In its home opener, the West Georgia women’s basketball team delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance to pull away from Gardner-Webb for a 91-68 victory on Saturday afternoon at The Coliseum.

The Wolves, fueled by a career-high 32 points from local standout Jasmine Jones, outscored the Runnin’ Bulldogs 34-22 in the final period to turn a competitive contest into a decisive win. The victory improved West Georgia’s record to 1-1 on the young season, while Gardner-Webb dropped to 0-2.

West Georgia’s offensive attack was a three-headed monster, as Jones, Sydne Tolbert and Asia Donald combined for 74 of the team’s 91 points. Jones, a 5-foot-11 guard from Carrollton, was efficient and prolific, pouring in her 32 points while also grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists in 38 minutes of action.

Tolbert, a 5-4 guard, played the entire 40 minutes and provided a steady hand, scoring 20 points and distributing a game-high 5 assists. Donald, a 5-9 forward, was a force inside and out, adding 22 points and 5 rebounds. The trio’s scoring prowess overwhelmed a Gardner-Webb defense that struggled to find consistent stops, especially in the second half.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game was tightly contested for the first three quarters. Gardner-Webb started strong, taking a 20-17 lead after the first quarter behind the hot shooting of Nyla Walker. The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ offense, however, went cold in the second period, managing only 9 points. West Georgia took advantage, outscoring Gardner-Webb 21-9 in the quarter to take a 38-29 lead into halftime.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs showed fight coming out of the break, winning the third quarter 17-19 to trim the Wolves’ lead to 57-56 heading into the final frame. The comeback effort was led by Walker, who finished with a team-high 23 points, and Amira Ofunniyin, who nearly recorded a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

Any hope for a Gardner-Webb upset was extinguished in the fourth quarter as West Georgia’s offense exploded. The Wolves opened the period on a decisive run, spearheaded by Jones and Donald, to quickly stretch their lead to double digits and never looked back. The 34-point quarter put an exclamation point on the victory, fulfilling the preseason expectations set by Interstat’s ELO system, which had projected West Georgia with an 88 percent probability to win.

While the Wolves’ stars shined, their success was also built on a foundation of strong role performances. Destiny Jones provided a significant presence on the glass, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench. Point guard Grace O’Gara directed the offense with precision, handing out 8 assists to go along with 7 points.

For Gardner-Webb, the loss highlighted recurring offensive struggles. After a season-opening 47-58 loss at Queens on Monday, the Runnin’ Bulldogs showed more punch but were unable to sustain it for four quarters. Beyond Walker and Ofunniyin, Amina Gray scored 11 points, and Makayla Legette contributed 7 points and 4 assists.

The game was a tale of two halves for West Georgia, which rebounded from a difficult season-opening 59-100 road loss at Oregon this past Monday. The Wolves found their rhythm at home in front of an announced crowd of 423, demonstrating the offensive firepower that was absent in their opener.

Gardner-Webb, still in search of its first win, faces a quick turnaround. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are scheduled to travel to face Mercer on Monday. Their upcoming schedule remains challenging, with a road game at Virginia Tech looming on Thursday.

West Georgia will enjoy a brief break before returning to action. The Wolves’ next contest is at home against Alabama State on Thursday. They will then hit the road for a matchup at Georgia Tech on Nov. 19.

The victory gives West Georgia momentum as it looks to build a winning record, while Gardner-Webb continues to search for the right formula to notch its first victory of the 2025-2026 campaign.