Postgame radio interview with Quan Jackson and Isaiah Crawley

Postgame radio interview with Mark Byington

STATESBORO – Isaiah Crawley's putback with 1:01 left proved to be the game winner as Georgia Southern overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to top Louisiana 82-81 in the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament Monday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.

The win sends the fifth-seeded Eagles to the quarterfinals, and they will travel to Atlanta to take on fourth-seeded Georgia State Wednesday at 7 p.m. in GSU Sports Arena.

After Crawley's bucket put the Eagles ahead, GS forced a missed triple by Cedric Russell, who finished with a game-high 23 points, and Calvin Wishart got the rebound and was fouled with 19 seconds remaining. Wishart missed both free-throw attempts, but the Eagles closed the game with another defensive stop as Mylik Wilson's jumper hit a of couple spots on the rim before falling away as time expired.

Eagles of the Game
Quan Jackson led the Eagles in scoring with 16 points, made 3 of 5 from long range and recorded a game-high four steals. Crawley finished with 14 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Wishart canned all three of his 3-point attempts and scored 15, while Ike Smith collected 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Simeon Carter finished with 12 points and four blocked shots.  

Key Moments
The Eagles (19-13) trailed by 16 points midway through the second half and by 10 with 6:44 to play but finished the contest with an 18-7 run. GS held Louisiana (14-19) to 3 for 8 from the floor and forced three consecutive turnovers during the stretch. The Eagles hit six of their final seven shots from the floor at the other end, including consecutive 3-pointers by Jackson and Wishart.

Louisiana held Georgia Southern scoreless for the first 6:28 of the second half and outscored the Eagles 15-3 to build a 64-48 cushion with 12:26 left in the contest.  

Key Stats
The Eagles held the lead for just 3:27 of game time. GS forced 10 turnovers in the second half and 17 for the game. The Eagles shot 50 percent in the second frame while holding the Ragin' Cajuns to 41 percent. It was the first time the teams have met in the Sun Belt Tournament. 

Next Up
Tipoff Wednesday at Georgia State is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.