STATESBORO - Georgia Southern used an 8-0 run in overtime to sprint past FIU, 81-74, on Wednesday afternoon in Hanner Fieldhouse to improve to 3-0 on the season.
It's the first 3-0 start for the Eagles since the 1990-91 season, while FIU fell to 2-2 on the campaign with the loss.
Georgia Southern shot 61.5 percent (8-of-13) in building an eight-point lead, 22-14, at the end of the first quarter. The Eagles pushed that lead to 13 points, 35-22, midway through the second quarter, but the Eagles went on a four-minute scoring drought, allowing the Panthers to climb back to single digits. A free throw by Daeja Holmes and a three-pointer by Eden Johnson pushed the lead back to 13, 39-26, at the break.
FIU opened the second half on a 14-5 run to cut the gap to four, 44-40, with 4:41 left in the third period. The Panthers took the lead on a layup by Tanajah Hayes two minutes into the fourth quarter and the lead change hands six times over the final eight minutes, then a layup by the Panthers' Emerald Ekpiteta tied the game at 67-all with six seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
The Panthers led 71-69 two minutes into overtime, but a Mya Burns jumper tied the score and sparked the 8-0 run that clinched the victory. Burns' 20 points led a trio of Eagles in double figures. Eden Johnson notched her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Terren Ward added 10. Tanajah Hayes led FIU with 19 points.
Eagle of the Game
Burns scored 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. She scored eight straight points in the overtime period, taking a two-point deficit for the Eagles and turning it into a six-point lead. She added eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Stats of the Game
Georgia Southern committed 31 turnovers in the contest, but only two in the game's final four minutes of regulation and all five minutes of overtime when the game was on the line. The Eagles also made 8-of-10 free throws in the extra period to help solidify the victory.
Quotables • HEAR FULL POST-GAME COMMENTS FROM MYA BURNS AND ANITA HOWARD
Head Coach Anita Howard on the overtime win against FIU and what she told the game late against the Panthers
"This is our house, Hanner has been good to us. And after today it's still good to us. I told our ladies at the end, 'Relax, this is our game.' I felt we had gotten lax on defense. So I said, 'Hey, we defend in practice, I want to see that defense here.' I felt like the overtime would go to us, we had the bodies, and I knew we can push through and execute."
Next Up
The Eagles make their first trip to California, facing San Diego State on Saturday at 2 p.m. in San Diego. Georgia Southern will wrap up the trip by facing San Diego Christian on Monday at 11 p.m.
