The Eagles season came to a close on Wednesday night after falling to Arkansas State in overtime.
The Sun Belt Conference Tournament Second Round was held at the Pensacola Bay Center where the number six seeded GS fell to number 11-seed Arkansas State, 81-76.
"First of all, a shout out to Des [head coach Desiree Rogers] and Arkansas State. They have done a phenomenal job and are really clicking on all cylinders. Their record is not an indication of who they are and we saw that today,” said Eagles head coach Anita Howard.
Arkansas State shot a blistering 58 percent, including hitting five three-pointers, in putting up 27 points in the first quarter and leading by as many as 14 points.
GS cut that lead to single digits, 36-27, on a bucket by senior Taya Gibson right at the end of the half.
In the second half, the Eagles cut down on their turnovers, allowing GS to climb back into the contest. GS committed 15 turnovers in the first half, but only four in the second half. The Eagles put up 26 points in the third quarter and led, 53-50, at the end of the third quarter.
The Eagles took a four-point lead into the final minute of regulation, 71-67, but a three-pointer by Alea Gibson cut the lead to one. GS missed three of four free throws in the final minute that could have helped seal the victory.
Lauryn Pendleton's baseline jumper with eight seconds left tied the score at 72-all and sent the game into an extra frame.
Arkansas State scored the first six points of overtime and held GS to just 2-of-8 from the floor to take the win.
“I'm not happy. Nobody's happy with losing. But we committed 23 turnovers and shot 45 percent from the free throw line. You can't do that on any night, much less in the tournament, and expect to win. Arkansas State was game ready, with 27 points in the first quarter. We finally woke up in the second half. Our team left it all out on the floor tonight. But to go into overtime and lose by single digits - we should have gotten blown out, with how we played. And that's just an indication of how good we can be," said Howard.
Gibson led a trio of Eagles in double figures with 26 points. Terren Ward added 17 points and Simone James chipped in 14. Izzy Higginbottom led the Red Wolves with a game-high 28 points.
Gibson was named Eagle of the game after hitting a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. She hit 9-of-19 shots from the floor, including a three, and went 7-for-12 from the line. Her 14 rebounds included eight on the offensive glass, and she added two assists and a steal.
The Eagles season is now complete with a 20-8 record. This is the first 20 win season for GS in 20 years. GS will return four starters and 10 players overall from this season's 20-8 squad for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign.
Arkansas State (13-18) advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 3 seed Southern Miss on Friday.
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