Georgia Southern used a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to prevail in a tight defensive win over Southern Miss, 49-42, in Sun Belt women's basketball action on Wednesday evening at the Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Miss.
The Eagles halted a six-game losing streak with the win, improving to 10-14 overall and 3-9 in the Sun Belt. Southern Miss fell to 8-15 overall and 4-8 in the league with the loss. It was the first win for Georgia Southern in four tries against USM and it came in the program's first trip to Hattiesburg.
Georgia Southern took a 19-14 lead after the first quarter thanks to hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers in the frame. The second quarter saw a combined 11 points between the two teams as the visiting Eagles led 25-19 at halftime.
Southern Miss embarked on a 12-2 run that covered the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter by hitting 4-of-8 shots from the floor, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. But the Eagles were able to tie it up at 31-all on a Leah Johnson jumper in the paint at the end of three.
The fourth quarter saw the Golden Eagles go up by three, 34-31, with 8:16 left, but Georgia Southern then went on its 13-0 run that covered the next six and a half minutes, building a 44-34 advantage. The Eagles then hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to secure the victory.
McKenna Eddings led the Eagles offensively on the night with 14 points, while Indya Green led defensively with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Eagle of the Game
Shanti Simmons came off the bench to notch eight points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist as she was +16 on plus/minus in 21 minutes of action. She also hit 4-of-4 free throws
Stat of the Game
The 49 points by the Eagles in the victory was the fewest for Georgia Southern since a 35-34 win over the College of Charleston on January 18, 2012, in SoCon action.
Quotables
Head coach Hana Haden on halting a six-game slide with tonight's win at Southern Miss
"We'll take them however they come right now. We've been on a losing streak where we shot better percentages than we did tonight, so I'm just really proud of our kids for finding a way to pull it out tonight, and hitting free throws down the stretch."
On the defense tonight against the Golden Eagles
"Big time defensive effort. Number 45, Grayson, is a really good player. We wanted to limit her, and she was 2-for-12 shooting and only four points. And we did a good job defending everyone else as well, especially at the three-point line."
Next Up
Georgia Southern steps out of Sun Belt play on Saturday, February 8, to host Akron in the second leg of the MAC/SBC Challenge at 11 a.m. at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.