STATESBORO - Georgia Southern overcame a 16-point first-half deficit by putting up a 57-point second half, claiming a 96-91 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball victory over first-place Troy on Friday evening at Hanner Fieldhouse.
The win snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Trojans (11-5, 7-2 SBC) that dated back to 1978. Georgia Southern (8-8, 4-5 SBC) also halted Troy's seven-game winning streak with the victory.
Troy started the contest lights out from the field, shooting 66.7% in the first quarter to take a 33-18 lead. The 33 points were the most given up by Georgia Southern in a quarter since the NCAA moved to the format in 2015.
In the second quarter, the Eagles cut the Troy lead to seven, 39-32, on a Sarah Moore bucket, but the Trojans outscored Georgia Southern 13-7 the rest of the period to take a 52-39 lead into the break.
Georgia Southern opened up the second half on a 17-3 run to take a 56-55 lead with 5:52 left in the third quarter, which set up a back-and-forth period featuring six lead changes and two ties. Troy led by one, 71-70, at the end of the frame on a jumper by Tyasia Moore.
The fourth quarter saw the Eagles take control with a 20-7 run, building a 90-78 lead with 3:40 left to go in the contest. The run featured a pair of three-pointers from Eden Johnson and back-to-back threes by A'Tyanna Gaulden and Mya Burns capped the outburst. Troy would rally in the closing minutes, but the Trojans were only able to get as close as four in the final minute.
Four Eagles reached double figures on the evening, three of whom notched career highs on the night. Johnson's 20 points led Georgia Southern offensively, while Burns and Terren Ward also had career-high 17-point outputs. Ward added a career-high 15 rebounds for a double-double. Gaulden finished with 13 points and five assists. Jasmine Robinson's 33 points led Troy, while Tiyah Johnson added 17 points.
Eagle of the Game
Johnson hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor en route to her first 20-point game for the Eagles. She surpassed her previous high of 16 points, also scored at Troy on January 15th, and knocked down 4-of-5 three-pointers as well. Johnson also blocked a career-high three shots and played a season-high 30 minutes.
Stat of the Game
The 96 points scored by the Eagles are the most for Georgia Southern in a Sun Belt Conference game. The Eagles' previous Sun Belt Conference high in points was 93, scored in an 99-93 overtime loss to Ttroy on February 19, 2015.
Quotables • LISTEN TO FULL POSTGAME COMMENTS HERE
Head Coach Anita Howard on the keys to the win over Troy
"We talked about sharing the basketball. We have one through 15 where anybody can come in and be a huge factor. If we share the basketball, it's hard to guard 15 players. And that's what we did tonight. We looked to rebound, run, share the basketball, put pressure on their transition defense. Wear them down a little bit, and I think we did that."
On the difference in the second half
"We just talked about it at halftime, that we hadn't played our best basketball yet. So they came out in the second half, and did just that. They played Lady Eagle basketball. Rebound, run, get up on defense and pressure them."
Next Up
The Eagles and Trojans wrap up their four-game Sun Belt series on Saturday at 4 p.m. Georgia Southern will celebrate Senior Day and honor its three seniors - Tatum Barber, A'Tyanna Gaulden and Sarah Moore - in a pre-game ceremony.
