Women's Basketball Tops Jacksonville State 72-49
11/27/2011 11:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
"We came out loose and focused today," said Head Coach Rusty Cram. "We did a great job of reading the defense and executed exactly what the defense gave us. That was the difference in the game."
Sophomore Aishya Wofford (Augusta, Ga.) and freshman Tashayla Steede (Marietta, Ga.) scored the first six points of the game from inside the paint to give Georgia Southern an early 6-0 lead. GSU started seven of 12 from the field and led 14-2 with 13:34 remaining in the first half. The Lady Eagles would stretch the lead to 20-4, before Jacksonville State responded with a 6-2 run to make it 22-10 with 9:29 left in the first half. Senior Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) knocked down consecutive three-balls for the Lady Eagles and with 8:29 remaining, Georgia Southern led the Gamecocks 28-12. Jacksonville State went on a 10-5 run to make it 33-22 at the 4:00 minute mark, but GSU responded with a 5-0 run to take a 38-22 lead into halftime.
"I thought the first five minutes was going to dictate how the game would go," said Cram. We knocked down some open shots early and kept scrapping. We were doing the fundamental things we need to do to get some great looks at the basket."
The Lady Eagles came out strong after the break, going on an 11-4 run to start the second half, including back-to-back buckets by Frye and a three-ball by senior Janay Wilson (Warner Robins, Ga.) to make it 49-26 at the 15:41 mark. Georgia Southern shot 55.2% from the field in the final 20 minutes and held the 23 point margin at the final buzzer. The Lady Eagles forced 18 Gamecock turnovers and converted them into 20 points.
"I thought the defense set the tone out there," said Cram. "We played as good a defense as we've played in a long time and it took them out of what they wanted to do."
Georgia Southern moves to 2-4 on the season and 2-2 on its current road swing. The Lady Eagles travel to Boone, N.C. on Thursday, Dec. 1, for their Southern Conference opener at Appalachian State. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Holmes Center.
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