GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Melissa Williams tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds and scored 12 points  in the second half to pace Eastern Washington to a 55-42 women's basketball victory over Georgia Southern in the Gator Holiday Classic Sunday afternoon in the O'Connell Center.

Georgia Southern (2-6) will return to action in the consolation game of the tournament Monday at noon against Southern University.

Angel McGowan led the Eagles with 13 points and tallied three steals, and Abby Hix scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, connecting on 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Anna Claire Knight chipped in nine points and seven rebounds, and Briana Jones recorded a team-high 10 boards.

Williams was one of two players with a double-double for Eastern Washington (6-4) as Delaney Hodgins collected 12 points and 11 rebounds. Hayley Hodgins chipped in 11 points and four assists.

Georgia Southern turned in one of its best defensive efforts of the season, holding Eastern Washington to 35 percent from the floor and 4-of-24 from 3-point range. But the Eagles, who had a 14-day layoff for exams, shot just 25 percent on the offensive end. Georgia Southern also played without four players, including three at the post position, who were suspended for a violation of team rules.

"I thought we competed really, really hard the whole 40 minutes," said Georgia Southern coach Chris Vozab. "The last couple of games, we haven't shot well out of the gates, and that happened again, but we did not let it affect our defensive intensity. I thought we continued to battle and fight and when we got some looks to go down, and we were right there. I really thought our defensive execution was great – we were sharp, and our communication was much, much better."

Eastern Washington led 18-4 in the first half before Georgia Southern used a 10-2 run to get back in the game. Hix nailed a pair of 3-pointers, and McGowan scored four points during the run. With the Eagles trailing 24-14, McGowan scored four more points, and Alexis Sams hit a triple in a 9-4 run that made the margin 28-23 at the break.

After a Delaney Hodgins jumper opened the second half, Knight scored three straight baskets to pull the Eagles to within one point at 30-29. McGowan got a steal on Eastern Washington's next trip down the floor, but Georgia Southern could not convert on the other end. 

The Eagles went cold from the field and were held without a basket for the next seven minutes, while Eastern Washington used an 11-0 run to regain control of the contest. Another triple by Hix made the score 42-35 with 8:34 to play, but Eastern Washington used an 11-3 spurt to take a commanding 15-point advantage. 

"Early in the second half, we were locked into our game plan – we were being aggressive, and our defense got us into some good offensive rhythm, and then we hit a stretch where we just didn't finish well," said Vozab. "They were able to make some tough shots at the end of the shot clock and gain separation. I think we're getting some really good looks offensively, we just need to take our time - take the extra half second and be composed and finish."

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