Women's Basketball Defeats UNC Asheville 52-39
11/22/2008 5:07:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - Jessica Geiger (Stone Mountain, Ga.) scored a season high of 12 points in Georgia Southern’s 52-39 win over UNC Asheville Saturday afternoon in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Ashley Melson (Newnan, Ga.) was the only other Lady Eagle to score in double figures. The senior guard scored 11 points and had seven steals.
Georgia Southern jumped out to an early 10-0 lead to start the first half before Asheville went on a 5-0 run capped off by Lindsey Thompson’s 3-pointer with 12:09 remaining.
The Bulldogs pulled within three on a Chioma Okoli layup at the 5:49 mark, but Geiger broke a six minute scoreless drought and started an 8-0 run that gave the Lady Eagles a 20-9 lead.
“She got the looks today and knocked them down especially when we needed them,” said head coach Rusty Cram.
Melson gave the Lady Eagles an 11 point lead with 1:42 remaining after she stole the ball and scored on a layup.
Jessica Monroe nailed a buzzer beater right before the end of the first half to cut the lead to 22-13 at halftime.
“I felt like the intensity wasn’t there even when we were up 10-0,” said Cram. “I didn’t feel like we were focused today, and that is the first time we have seen that in this team.”
Georgia Southern started off the second half with a 6-2 run, which was capped by Ashley Rivens’ (Charlotte, N.C.) two free throws. The Lady Eagles went 13 of 15 from the free throw line.
Ipek Derici nailed a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 28-20 with 15:11. Georgia Southern responded and got its biggest lead of the afternoon after Brittney Nelson (Rochester, Mich.) made a 3-pointer with 11:22 remaining to give the Lady Eagles a 16 point advantage.
Georgia Southern, however, went on another six minute scoreless drought, and the Bulldogs pulled within nine with 6:01 remaining in the game. Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) broke the scoring drought with a 3-pointer with 5:41 left in the half.
“Jamie is going to do all of those little things. She will scrap, get loose balls and rebound,” stated Cram.
Asheville was unable to cut the lead under 10 points the rest of the way and lost 52-39 despite a 23+ rebounding advantage.
“We shot the ball poorly today and got outrebounded, but we found a way to win,” said Cram.
Georgia Sothern scored 27 points off the Bulldogs' season-high 35 turnovers.
The Lady Eagles return to action Tuesday at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
