Lady Eagles Extend Home Win Streak to Nine Games in Overtime Thriller
2/8/2011 2:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Women's Basketball team (11-13, 8-7) went to the brink again and pulled out the 71-69 overtime win over Elon (15-8, 9-5) Monday night. The Lady Eagles extended their home win streak to nine games despite trailing by as many as four points in overtime.
Four players scored in double figures for Georgia Southern, but it was a last-minute three from Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) that sent the Lady Eagles to overtime. A pair of free throws from Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) with 25 seconds left in the extra period put GSU on top for good.
Meredyth Frye (Fredericksburg, Va.) led Georgia Southern with 16 points and went six for eight from the free throw line. Williams added 14 points and a game high five assists in 34 minutes, while Ro-Ro Smith (Blackshear, Ga.) scored a career high 13 points. Navarro added 13 points and five rebounds but fouled out early in overtime.
Ali Ford scored 26 points for Elon on 8-19 shooting from the floor. Kelsey Evans added 15 points and six rebounds, while Julie Taylor scored 10 for the Phoenix.
Elon quickly opened up a four-point lead in overtime, but Georgia Southern responded with a 9-3 run over the final two minutes to grab the 71-69 win. The Lady Eagles hit six free throws during that stretch. Frye hit a trey with 1:47 remaining to cut the lead to one point, before Williams hit a pair of free throws.
Georgia Southern trailed early in the first half but took a 9-8 lead at the 15:13 mark and held on for the remainder of the period, leading 32-26 at halftime. Frye led the Lady Eagles with seven points, while Smith tallied six points.
Georgia Southern posted lead of the night, 20-12, on a Aishya Wofford (Augusta, Ga.) jumper with 9:53 to play. The Lady Eagles had their lead cut to to just two points twice in the five minutes before intermission but responded with a basket each time.
Georgia Southern extended its lead to 10 points out of the halftime break. Navarro hit a free throw at the 16:46 mark to give the Lady Eagles the 38-28 advantage. However, a 12-7 run over the next 3:42 put Elon back on top for the first time since 15:34 mark in the first half. Candice Silas drained a fast break layup to give the Phoenix a 46-45 lead.
Elon led for the next 9:34, but Georgia Southern kept it close allowing a Phoenix lead of no more than four points. Smith went to line and drained a pair of free throws 1:46 to play to cut the Elon lead to one before Navarro tied the game at 57-57 with 1:26 to go. The Phoenix jumped back ahead by three points, 60-57, but a Navarro trey tied the game at 60-60. Frye took the final shot of the contest but was unable to recreate the same magic from Saturday night when she hit the game winner against UNC Greensboro on Saturday.
Georgia Southern returns to action next Monday at Western Carolina. The Lady Eagles return to Hanner Fieldhouse two days later to face the College of Charleston on February 16th.
Fans may follow Georgia Southern Women's Basketball by visiting GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/ladyeagles or check in at twitter.com/GSAthletics or facebook.com/GSAthletics for short updates. Scores from Charleston will be available on twitter.com/GSScores.
