Andrei Savrasov matched his career high with 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds and four assists, and Georgia Southern ended the game with a big defensive stop as the Eagles topped James Madison 76-73 in Sun Belt men's basketball action Thursday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.
The Eagles took a three-point lead on a Jalen Finch free throw with nine seconds left and dug in defensively, forcing Vado Morse to give up the ball to Mezie Offurum who wound up turning it over as the final horn sounded.
Eagles of the Game
Savrasov made 8 of 13 from the field, 2 of 3 from 3-point range and 4 of 5 from the charity stripe in collecting his sixth double-double of the season. Finch finished with 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Carlos Curry totaled nine points and seven rebounds, and Kaden Archie notched eight points and five rebounds.
Key Moments
James Madison (17-9, 8-5) trailed by 10 points at the final media timeout but scored eight straight, with Morse hitting consecutive 3-pointers that trimmed the lead to 70-68 with 1:31 to go. Finch hit a pull-up jumper in the lane, the Eagles got a defensive stop and Savrasov made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line for a five-point lead, but Morse canned another triple, making the score 73-71 with 17.1 seconds left.
The Dukes fouled Finch, who made them both with 15.6 seconds to go, and Morse was fouled going to the hoop on JMU's next possession. He knocked down both free throws with 11.4 to play. The Eagles (13-13, 6-7) inbounded to Finch who missed the first free throw but made the second for the three-point lead.
Derrick Harris Jr., Savrasov and Finch all hit triples as the Eagles scored 18 straight points and opened a 24-10 lead on a Curry conventional 3-point play with 8:36 left in the first half. The Dukes closed the first period with an 8-2 run to get within striking distance and scored eight straight points to open a 48-47 advantage early in the second.
Savrasov scored eight points in a 12-3 spurt that gave Georgia Southern a 10-point cushion, and the Eagles led 70-60 following an Archie layup with 4:28 to play.
Stats and Notes
- It was the Eagles' first home game in 19 days; they played the last four games on the road.
- GS scored 46 points in the paint and owned a 43-33 edge on the glass.
- The Eagles held the Dukes to 32 percent shooting in the first half and to 39.7 percent for the game.
- Finch ran his season total to 93 assists. The last Eagle to collect 100 assists in a season was Tookie Brown, who posted 154 in 2018-19.
- JMU made 19 of 22 from the free-throw line, and the Eagles knocked down 12 of 15.
Next up
The Eagles welcome Arkansas State to Hanner Fieldhouse for the first time since March of 2020 as they host the Red Wolves on Salute to Service Day. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m., and the contest will air live on ESPN+ and the GS Sports Network.