SAN MARCOS - Terren Ward hit for 29 points and the Eagles came up with a defensive stop on the last play of the game to pick up a Sun Belt Conference-opening 70-69 win at Texas State on Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena in San Marcos.
The Eagles (11-2, 1-0 SBC) extended their current win streak to nine and also picked up their first win over the Bobcats (10-4, 0-1 SBC) since 2019 with the victory.
Georgia Southern and Texas State played an even first quarter, 16-all, but the Eagles pulled ahead in the second quarter thanks to eight points from Ward Ward to take a five-point lead at the break, 38-33.
Texas State opened the second half on a 10-4 run to take a 43-42 lead with 4:41 left in the third quarter, but the Eagles got another basket by Ward to end the third quarter with a 51-50 lead.
The Eagles led by four, 70-66, with 1:05 left after a Ward three-point play. But the Bobcats' Ja'Niah Henson was fouled on a three-point shot with 34 seconds left, and Henson drained all three free throws to close the gap to one.
After an Eagles time out, Ward got the ball and drove towards the basket but was called for a charge, giving the ball back to the Bobcats with 16.9 seconds left. Texas State ran the clock down and Henson's pull-up jumper missed to the left, giving Georgia Southern the victory. Georgia Southern also held Texas State without a field goal for the game's last three minutes and 20 seconds.
Ward's 29 points led all scorers, while Kayla Thomas scored 14 points to set a season-high point total for a second straight game. Henson led the Bobcats with 18 points.
Eagle of the Game
Ward's 29 points was a season-high for the senior and moved her into eighth place on the all-time scoring chart at Georgia Southern past Sharon Mitchell (1996-01). She added nine rebounds and five assists in the contest.
Stat of the Game
The Eagles held a 16-6 edge on the offensive glass, resulting in a 23-8 edge in second chance points.
Quotables
Head Coach Anita Howard on the win over the Bobcats
"It's my first win over Texas State, and it came in a defensive fashion. I told our ladies that were on the court that we needed just one stop. I've been preaching defense since we got back from the break, and you saw at the end of the game our team jumping up not necessarily because we won, but because we actually got a defensive stop. I thought we played a little sloppy today, hats off to Texas State, they're a well-coached team, but to come out of here with a win, I'll take it."
Next Up
The Eagles will begin a four-game homestand on Thursday, January 4, hosting Troy in a 6 p.m. Sun Belt contest at Hanner Fieldhouse.
