Seniors Tatum Barber & Sarah Moore Look Back, Forward Heading To Sun Belt WBB Tournament
3/3/2021 12:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Fourth-year seniors will be participating in their third Sun Belt postseason
STATESBORO - As the Georgia Southern women's basketball team makes the journey to Pensacola, Fla., for the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Championships, the most experienced pair of Eagles have a unique opportunity to cap off their careers while putting down another strong foundation block for the growing program.
Tatum Barber and Sarah Moore both came to Georgia Southern women's basketball as true freshman in the Fall of 2017 - Barber from Dallas, Texas, and Moore from Tampa, Fla. The duo knew that Georgia Southern was the place for them from the first minute they stepped on campus.
"I felt a family vibe," Moore said. "Everyone was so nice. And I loved the academic part of Georgia Southern as well. I knew I was going to need a little bit of help, so I like that they had Cone Hall, and [Academic Advisor] Peaches was there too."
"Like Sarah said, the family atmosphere stuck out to me," Barber said. "And how the department is really close, with all the teams. Everybody knows everybody throughout the department. But one thing that really stuck out to me from all the colleges that I'd been to, is that usually campuses are square, or circle. Georgia Southern is like a straight line. That was kind of different for me."
That first year, the Eagles made just their second appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament, traveling to New Orleans to take on Louisiana at the Lakefront Arena. So what was that first tournament experience like?
"I was really excited," Moore said. "I'm not gonna lie, I hated the bus ride. But I was nervous and excited all at once."
"I didn't know what to expect," Barber said. "I'd played in tournaments before but college is such a different experience. We went down to Bourbon Street, that was a fun experience. Even though I didn't play in the game, that was quite a an experience too, playing three overtimes."
The Eagles lost to Louisiana, 88-81, in triple overtime - Georgia Southern's first triple overtime game since 1998.
"I played like two minutes," Moore said. "I got in and the end of the fourth quarter. They made a play for Lex [Alexis Foulks] and somehow they got it to me. I was so nervous!"
"I'd never been in a three overtime game before," Barber said. "That tip that Hailey got in that wasn't supposed to go in ..."
Hailey Dias-Allen made an athletic tip-in off of a missed free throw by Alexis Brown that tied the game at 75-all in the second overtime and pushed the game to a third.
"She was surprised it went in too!" Moore recalls.
"I was excited to see how far we came that season," Barber said. "It was a fun game to watch and be a part of."
The Eagles missed out on the tournament in 2019, but went into 2020 in good position to secure a berth. It would take a win on the last day of the regular season, however, for that to happen. A 77-74 victory ot Georgia State on March 7th punched Georgia Southern's ticket to the Sun Belt tournament for a third time in program history.
"That games was fun, coming down to the last 30 seconds," Barber said. "I hit a three to take the lead. Just knowing we had to win to get into the tournament. I enjoy that memory, I look back on it a lot. And especially seeing my team get excited and jumping up and down. That's a lifetime moment."
"I was jumping in my living room!" Moore said. After suffering a concussion the previous week, Moore wasn't able to travel to the Georgia State game - or the tournament game that followed three days later. "I was really sad, because I wanted to be there for my team. I knew I wouldn't be able to help because of the concussion. I did my best to cheer through the TV though. I hope y'all heard me!"
Fast forward to 2020-21, and the Eagles knew that every team would be advancing to the tournament this season. As the 'elder statesmen,' so to speak, of the team, have any of the younger teammates asked Sarah and Tatum about the tournament experience?
"They're thinking it's just like another game," Moore said. "I think they're nervous that it's the tournament, but they're just thinking it's another win we can get."
"I think they're excited about finally playing someone else," Barber said. Georgia Southern takes on Texas State for the first time this season as Sun Belt play was split divisionally in 2020-21. "But I've told them it's not really like a normal game. You can't take any plays off, and you can't mess up - but it you do, you just have to play through it. I'm just letting them know that they've got to give it all and act like it's the last game, because it possibly could be."
"I don't think it's hit them yet," Moore said.
But has it hit them yet?
"It's weird," Barber said. "We've been here four years, and this could be our last game. It's bittersweet almost, but I'm excited to go down there and get some wins. And hopefully get a championship."
"Yep," Moore agreed. "Go out with a ring!"
Both Tatum and Sarah have some advice to pass along to their younger teammates as well, heading into what could be their final collegiate games.
"I've been talking to them all year about playing through their mistakes," Barber said. "And not letting it get into their heads. When they get a turnover - it does matter, but it doesn't matter. You can't stay on that turnover and let it affect you for the rest of the game. I really want to see them grow through their next years here."
"They need to not be so emotional with the game," Moore said. "And just play their game. They know they're good. So just go out there and play."
Finally, we asked Sarah and Tatum about the one thing they'll miss about Georgia Southern.
"My team for sure," Barber said. "Especially last year's team and this year's team. I still talk a lot to last year's team. I'll miss the team, and the department as a whole. We're a tight-knit family. You can talk to anyone from any sport and that family atmosphere I'll miss the most."
"Definitely the same as Tatum," Moore said. "I'm really going to miss the relationships I built during my four years here with the athletic deparmtent, the academic department, everybody really. I'm going to miss them."
Tatum Barber and Sarah Moore both came to Georgia Southern women's basketball as true freshman in the Fall of 2017 - Barber from Dallas, Texas, and Moore from Tampa, Fla. The duo knew that Georgia Southern was the place for them from the first minute they stepped on campus.
"I felt a family vibe," Moore said. "Everyone was so nice. And I loved the academic part of Georgia Southern as well. I knew I was going to need a little bit of help, so I like that they had Cone Hall, and [Academic Advisor] Peaches was there too."
"Like Sarah said, the family atmosphere stuck out to me," Barber said. "And how the department is really close, with all the teams. Everybody knows everybody throughout the department. But one thing that really stuck out to me from all the colleges that I'd been to, is that usually campuses are square, or circle. Georgia Southern is like a straight line. That was kind of different for me."
That first year, the Eagles made just their second appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament, traveling to New Orleans to take on Louisiana at the Lakefront Arena. So what was that first tournament experience like?
"I was really excited," Moore said. "I'm not gonna lie, I hated the bus ride. But I was nervous and excited all at once."
"I didn't know what to expect," Barber said. "I'd played in tournaments before but college is such a different experience. We went down to Bourbon Street, that was a fun experience. Even though I didn't play in the game, that was quite a an experience too, playing three overtimes."
The Eagles lost to Louisiana, 88-81, in triple overtime - Georgia Southern's first triple overtime game since 1998.
"I played like two minutes," Moore said. "I got in and the end of the fourth quarter. They made a play for Lex [Alexis Foulks] and somehow they got it to me. I was so nervous!"
"I'd never been in a three overtime game before," Barber said. "That tip that Hailey got in that wasn't supposed to go in ..."
Hailey Dias-Allen made an athletic tip-in off of a missed free throw by Alexis Brown that tied the game at 75-all in the second overtime and pushed the game to a third.
"She was surprised it went in too!" Moore recalls.
"I was excited to see how far we came that season," Barber said. "It was a fun game to watch and be a part of."
The Eagles missed out on the tournament in 2019, but went into 2020 in good position to secure a berth. It would take a win on the last day of the regular season, however, for that to happen. A 77-74 victory ot Georgia State on March 7th punched Georgia Southern's ticket to the Sun Belt tournament for a third time in program history.
"That games was fun, coming down to the last 30 seconds," Barber said. "I hit a three to take the lead. Just knowing we had to win to get into the tournament. I enjoy that memory, I look back on it a lot. And especially seeing my team get excited and jumping up and down. That's a lifetime moment."
"I was jumping in my living room!" Moore said. After suffering a concussion the previous week, Moore wasn't able to travel to the Georgia State game - or the tournament game that followed three days later. "I was really sad, because I wanted to be there for my team. I knew I wouldn't be able to help because of the concussion. I did my best to cheer through the TV though. I hope y'all heard me!"
Fast forward to 2020-21, and the Eagles knew that every team would be advancing to the tournament this season. As the 'elder statesmen,' so to speak, of the team, have any of the younger teammates asked Sarah and Tatum about the tournament experience?
"They're thinking it's just like another game," Moore said. "I think they're nervous that it's the tournament, but they're just thinking it's another win we can get."
"I think they're excited about finally playing someone else," Barber said. Georgia Southern takes on Texas State for the first time this season as Sun Belt play was split divisionally in 2020-21. "But I've told them it's not really like a normal game. You can't take any plays off, and you can't mess up - but it you do, you just have to play through it. I'm just letting them know that they've got to give it all and act like it's the last game, because it possibly could be."
"I don't think it's hit them yet," Moore said.
But has it hit them yet?
"It's weird," Barber said. "We've been here four years, and this could be our last game. It's bittersweet almost, but I'm excited to go down there and get some wins. And hopefully get a championship."
"Yep," Moore agreed. "Go out with a ring!"
Both Tatum and Sarah have some advice to pass along to their younger teammates as well, heading into what could be their final collegiate games.
"I've been talking to them all year about playing through their mistakes," Barber said. "And not letting it get into their heads. When they get a turnover - it does matter, but it doesn't matter. You can't stay on that turnover and let it affect you for the rest of the game. I really want to see them grow through their next years here."
"They need to not be so emotional with the game," Moore said. "And just play their game. They know they're good. So just go out there and play."
Finally, we asked Sarah and Tatum about the one thing they'll miss about Georgia Southern.
"My team for sure," Barber said. "Especially last year's team and this year's team. I still talk a lot to last year's team. I'll miss the team, and the department as a whole. We're a tight-knit family. You can talk to anyone from any sport and that family atmosphere I'll miss the most."
"Definitely the same as Tatum," Moore said. "I'm really going to miss the relationships I built during my four years here with the athletic deparmtent, the academic department, everybody really. I'm going to miss them."
Players Mentioned
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