Men’s Basketball Handles Webber International in Season Opener

Friday, November 13

Statesboro, Ga.

7:30 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

1-0

116

Webber International

1-4

Webber International

Georgia Southern

116

Jason Burnell scored 19 points to lead the Eagles.

Photo by: Frank Fortune - Georgia Southern Athletics

Men’s Basketball Handles Webber International in Season Opener

11/13/2015 11:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Eagles travel to Ole Miss Monday.

By: Marc Gignac

STATESBORO, Ga. – Jason Burnell collected 19 points and six rebounds and canned 4-of-5 from 3-point range to lead Georgia Southern to a 116-49 men's basketball win over Webber International in the Eagles' season opener Friday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.

It was the first time the Eagles have scored 100 points since a 104-50 home win over Toccoa Falls Nov. 16, 2013, and their most points since a 116-73 victory over UC Davis Nov. 12, 2006, which was the 2006-07 season opener.

Six Eagles scored in double figures, and Georgia Southern had 27 assists, three shy of the school record. Jonathan Sanks scored 12, and Tookie Brown collected 12 points, seven assists and four steals. Ike Smith contributed 11 points, six rebounds and five steals, and Jake Allsmiller netted 11 points. Coye Simmons tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Sam Auguste led Webber International (1-4) with 10 points, and Dewaine Lyals scored eight. Georgia Southern shot 49 percent for the game while holding the Warriors to 26 percent and forcing 26 turnovers.

The story
Georgia Southern opened the contest with a 21-3 run over the first 7:14 of the game. Hughes hit two triples, while Tookie Brown and Ike Smith were also good from long distance during the stretch. The lead grew to 25 points before Webber International used a 10-3 run to trim it to 18 points. Georgia Southern responded by holding Webber to one point for the final 4:43 of the frame while putting up 18 points on the home side. Burnell scored nine points on three triples during the stretch, and the Eagles led 60-24 at halftime. Georgia Southern shot 55.3 percent from the floor in the half and drained 9-of-19 from downtown. The Eagles also scored 11 second-chance points and owned an 8-1 advantage on the offensive glass.

Quotable from Coach Mark Byington
"We did a great job sharing the ball, and I think sometimes we were too unselfish. But that's a quality I like in a team – when guys are trying to make plays for each other and happy for their teammates. It's a good quality to have as you go on to face some adversity throughout the year. We talk to the guys about building habits, and that's what we're trying to do. We want to do things the right way no matter what the scoreboard says. It's all a learning experience."

Next up
Georgia Southern travels to Ole Miss for an 8 p.m. Eastern contest Monday, Nov. 16. The game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network +.

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