Women's Basketball | 12/30/2016 1:00:00 PM

2016-17 GS WBB Quick Facts (PDF)
2016-17 GS WBB Media Guide (PDF)
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STATESBORO, Ga. – The Georgia Southern women's basketball team opens Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday, December 31 with a rivalry matchup against in-state foe Georgia State. The Eagles and Panthers will tip off at 10 a.m. from Hanner Fieldhouse with the men to follow shortly after. The league doubleheader is being billed as the Hoops Holiday Getaway.

One point will be on the line for both institutions in the Georgia Southern-Georgia State Rivalry Series. For more information about the rivalry series, click HERE.

GAME SNAPSHOT
Georgia State vs. Georgia Southern
Saturday, Dec. 31   |  10 a.m. EST   |   Hanner Fieldhouse (Statesboro, Ga.)
Live Stats   |   Live Audio (GS Sports Network)   |   Live Video (GS All-Access)

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS (Twitter - @GSU_WBB)
The Eagles and Panthers will be meeting for the 42^nd time in women's basketball. Georgia Southern holds a 24-17 advantage, including a 10-7 mark in Statesboro. Last season, the two teams split the home-and-home regular-season series with each team winning on the road. The series is tied 2-2 with the two teams in Sun Belt Conference play. The Eagles have not beaten Georgia State in Statesboro since January 15, 1990 when the Eagles downed the panthers 75-60. The two programs have only met in Statesboro four times since that game.

Georgia State is coached by seventh-year head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. Baldwin-Tener, who has been a collegiate head coach for 18 years, is 72-119 in Atlanta and 267-261 during her career.

Georgia State enters Saturday's game on a four-game losing skid. The Panthers have lost five of their last six contests. As a team, the Panthers averaged 62.2 points per game during the non-conference portion of the schedule, but they allowed 68.2 points to their opposition. Georgia State's opponents have hit on 40.4 percent through the first 11 games, and that includes 34.3 percent from three-point range. Georgia State has hit on just 36.1 percent of their looks from the field and have converted just 25.4 percent of their three-point attempts.

Georgia State has three players averaging just over 9.0 points per game. Tiffany Holston, the lone Panther to start all 11 games, leads the way with 9.6 points per contest. She also leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per outing and shoots 48.3 percent (42-87) from the field. Behind Holston, Madison Newby and Jada Lewis average 9.3 and 9.0 points per contest, but Newby has only played in three games while Lewis has played in all 11 games for Georgia State, making 10 starts. Astaja Tyghter and Makeba Ponder are not too far behind with 7.4 and 7.1 points per game, respectively. Ponder leads the squad with 19 three-pointers.

2016-17 GAST Roster
2016-17 GAST Schedule
2016-17 GAST Statistics

LAST TIME OUT (W, 74-58 vs. SC State)
Patrice Butler tallied 21 points and seven rebounds, and Georgia Southern forced 25 South Carolina State turnovers to top the Bulldogs 74-58 in women's basketball action Thursday afternoon in Hanner Fieldhouse.

Butler was 8 of 17 from the floor and made three of her four free-throw attempts for Georgia Southern (4-7). Angel McGowan finished with 13 points and three rebounds, and Amira Atwater collected 10 points, a career-high six assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Alexis Brown chipped in nine points on 4 of 7 shooting.

Bryeasha Blair tallied 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead South Carolina State (3-7), while JaQuanna Murray contributed 11 points and four rebounds. Jahmia Bradley had 10 points and four boards.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES HOOPS HOLIDAY GETAWAY
Start your New Year's Eve celebration December 31 with a basketball doubleheader in Hanner Fieldhouse and win one of four trips to ring in the New Year in Atlanta, Hilton Head, Jacksonville or Savannah with two free nights in a hotel, dinner reservations for up to four people and a $100 gift certificate for dinner.

It's your opportunity to Party All Day with Georgia Southern's Hoops Holiday Getaway! Fans can register online starting now until 5 p.m. on December 30 to win the trip of their choice. Attend the Eagles' basketball doubleheader against Georgia State December 31 (women's game at 10 a.m., men's game to follow), and the winners will be announced at halftime of the men's game. Hop in the car after the game, and head out of town for your Hoops Holiday Getaway!

You must be in attendance at the doubleheader to win; however, the prize is transferrable (see full terms and conditions). Hotel reservations are for the nights of December 31 and January 1 and dinner reservations are for 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Dates of the trip are not transferrable, and travel to the destinations is not included. Fans can register for all four trips but only win once and must be at least 18 years of age to claim the prize. 

The December 31 doubleheader is the Sun Belt Conference opener for both Eagle basketball teams. The women's game starts at 10 a.m., and the men's game tips off at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, email Gleen Hart at ghart@georgiasouthern.edu.

YEAR TWO FOR DROWN AND COMPANY
When Kip Drown took over the reins of the Georgia Southern women's basketball program over a year ago, he knew the rebuild would be a process that required him, his staff and the players to be patient. After the first year, the Eagles are looking to take the next step in building a successful program and they will have plenty of experience to draw from both on the coaching side as well as on the court.

Despite being chosen 10^th in the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Coaches' Poll, the team isn't looking to just roll over. The Eagles return plenty of talent and are a year older with more experience overall while also adding key pieces at every position. Last season, the Eagles had plenty of depth at certain positions, but were inexperienced at others. With at least three players at every position this year, and some players cross-trained at multiple positions, GS is prepared to take the next step.

MCGOWAN AND BUTLER EARN PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT HONORS
Georgia Southern women's basketball student-athletes Angel McGowan and Patrice Butler earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference honors as voted on by the league's coaches prior to the season. McGowan, a senior guard from Greenville, S.C., earned first team honors and Butler, a senior forward/center from Norcross, Ga., was named to the third team.

NEXT UP
The Eagles will play two more Sun Belt games in Statesboro, hosting South Alabama on Jan. 5 and Troy on Jan. 7.


The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy.  New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from your our ticket office.  For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.