PREVIEW: GS Women's Basketball Hosts Alabama Squads In Sun Belt Action This Week
2/28/2018 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Eagles take on South Alabama on Thursday, then host red-hot Troy on Senior Day Saturday
Georgia Southern (5-22, 2-14 SBC) is currently 11th in the Sun Belt standings, one game behind Georgia State (3-13), and the Eagles would need to sweep both of this week's games and have the Panthers lose both in order to move ahead of them into 10th. Otherwise, the Eagles are locked into 11th place and would face the 6th place team on Tuesday, March 6th, at 8:30 p.m. in New Orleans in the Sun Belt Championships First Round.
South Alabama is among four schools battling for positioning as the Jaguars are 16-11 overall and 9-7 in the Sun Belt, currently tied with Arkansas State and Louisiana for fifth, one-half game ahead of Coastal Carolina. The Jaguars have dropped six of their last seven coming into Thursday's game, most recently losing 59-56 to Louisiana. Preseason All-Sun Belt selection Chyna Ellis leads the Jaguar attack, ranking 10th in the league in scoring (13.4 ppg), third in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and leading the league while ranking seventh in NCAA Division I in blocked shots (3.2 bpg). Savannah Jones (12.1 ppg) is fifth in the Sun Belt in three-pointers made per game and third in three-point field goal percentage (37.1%).
In the earlier meeting between the two teams this season, South Alabama won 79-52 on Dec. 31, behind 22 points from Ellis. Hailey Dias-Allen had 12 points to lead the Eagles. The win tied up the overall series between the two teams, 7-7, and the Jaguars have won three of the last four meetings. \
You can watch Thursday's matchup on True Blue TV, while Colin Lacy will have the audio broadcast through the Georgia Southern Sports Network. Live stats are also available.
Saturday, the Eagles host red-hot Troy (16-11, 11-5 SBC) at 2 p.m. for Senior Day. Georgia Southern will honor three student-athletes - Alexis Foulks, Trellanie English-Lurry and Jakayvea Akins - as well as student manager Trauna Williams in a pre-game ceremony as they make their final appearances at Hanner Fieldhouse.
Foulks has appeared in 105 games in her four-year Eagle career, and the Columbia, S.C., native ranks 12th all-time in blocked shots at Georgia Southern with 58. English-Lurry, meanwhile, has set career highs in points per game (5.2), field goals (51), field goal percentage (37.2%) and three-pointers made (32). Akins, a redshirt junior, will graduate this May and the Clyo, Ga., native has played in 72 games over three seasons for the Eagles.
Troy has won nine of its last 10 games and is the league's top-scoring team, averaging 82.3 points, which ranks 11th in the nation. The Trojans are the national leader in rebounding, averaging 49.3 boards per game, while ranking 12th nationally in steals per game (11.6). Individually, Amber Rivers (14.5 ppg) leads the team in scoring, and the Trojans have eight players averaging 6.7 points per game or more.
The two teams met back on December 29th, with Troy taking an 88-47 win over the Eagles. Rivers had 20 points to lead the Trojans on the day, while Hailey Dias-Allen and Alexis Brown each had 10 points to lead the eagles.
Toshua Leavitt (18.6 ppg) and Taeler Deer (16.8 ppg) are 2-3 in the league in scoring, while Brooke Holle (12.3 ppg) ranks 13th in the league in scoring. Holle had a career-high 26 points in the earlier meeting between the two teams on January 25th as Texas State took an 81-56 win over the Eagles.
The win pushed Troy's lead in the overall series between the two teams to 11-2, and the Trojans have won 11 straight in the series, dating back to 1996.
Saturday's home finale will be broadcast on True Blue TV, with Colin Lacy again providing the audio webcast through the Georgia Southern Sports Network. Live stats are also available.
The 2018 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Championship bracket will be released on Saturday following the completion of all league games.
