STATESBORO - Behind a career-high 22 points from freshman Alexis Brown, the Georgia Southern women's basketball team continued its recent hot streak, downing ULM 76-65 Saturday afternoon at Hanner Fieldhouse. With the win, the Eagles have now won five of their past six games and moved to over .500 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Brown, whose previous high for points was 17 earlier this season against Troy, led the way for the Eagles with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting with four 3-pointers. It was the fourth time this season she has recorded a double-digit output. Angel McGowan scored 17 points while Patrice Butler scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

ULM was led by Carissa Moody's 25 points while Alexis Collins contributed 16 points. The 25 points from Moody are tied for the most allowed by an Eagle opponent this season.

Georgia Southern struggled from the field, shooting just 38.6 percent for the game, but hit 10 3-pointers and shot 80 percent from the free throw line (12 for 15) and forced 17 Warhawk turnovers. 

With the win, GS moved to 10-12 overall, 6-5 in the Sun Belt Conference while ULM fell to 5-17, 2-9 in the SBC. GS improved to 2-0 against the Warhawks this season as the Eagles downed ULM 65-44 earlier this year in Monroe.

THE STORY
The Warhawks race out to a 19-7 lead in the first quarter, shooting 61 percent from the field early on while the Eagles went over three minutes without a field goal. Despite hitting just three field goals in the first quarter and shooting 23 percent from the floor, GS hit nine free throws to keep it close. ULM hit a 3-pointer late to take a 22-15 lead after one stanza.

The Eagles stormed out of the huddle in the second quarter, scoring the first seven points to tie the game up at 22-all. GS took a 32-28 lead, but failed to score over a 3:21 span to allow the Warhawks to re-take the lead. Jakayvea Akins hit a free throw with one second left to tie up the game as both teams went to the locker room. GS hit three 3-pointers in the quarter and outscored ULM 18-11 in the period, but only shot 32.3 percent in the first half. Alexis Brown led the Eagles with 10 first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting, including two 3-pointers.

Georgia Southern started the second half much like it did the second quarter, coming out on a 9-2 run to force a ULM timeout after the Eagles took their biggest lead at 42-35. The Eagles continued their onslaught as Brown his a pair of 3's to cap a 15-0 run, but ULM quickly responded with a 5-0 to cut the deficit back to 10. Although GS had struggled in the third quarter much of the season, Saturday was a different story as the Eagles shot 50 percent and scored 25 points (with four 3-pointers) while allowing just 12 to take a 13-point lead to the final period..

ULM found its shooting touch in the fourth quarter as it shot 53.8 percent from the field and hit four 3-pointers, but the Eagles wouldn't allow the Warhawks to get any closer than 10 points, and GS cruised to the 11-point win. 

QUOTABLES 
Freshman Guard Alexis Brown
On her performance today
"My shot was falling today and my teammates set me up to get some good shots, I was open a lot and just able to make them. In the first half we needed defensive stops and some defensive intensity. He put me out there in the second half and I did my best to pick it up and I just came out and played my game." 

On their three-game conference win streak
"It feels great to be over .500, but we are trying to keep pushing and win some more games. We set a minimum goal of being top five in the conference and we have worked really hard to push each other. To be tied for fifth means a lot to us, but we're not done."

Head Coach Kip Drown
On the win
"I am really proud of our kids. We were a little slow coming out of the gates, ULM is a competitive bunch and they take a lot of pride in how they play and they really had a good start against us today. They shot the ball well so we had to withstand that, but we're taking baby steps here. We're 6-5 and could be tied for fourth at the end of the day, so we're just going to keep trying to do more and more every time we step on the court. Our kids are having fun and really enjoying this, they have paid their dues so they deserve this kind of success."

On the teams performance
"I have always had the philosophy of 'don't beat yourself'. We only had six turnovers today, they had 17. We shot 15 free throws, they shot six. We are doing the things that good basketball teams do. Don't put them on the line, don't give them easy shots, don't turn the basketball over, and get some good looks. We got the job done today and we are getting a lot better at those things."

NEXT UP
The Eagles will hit the road next weekend to face Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina. The Eagles will play the Mountaineers at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9 and the Chanticleers at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. 

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