DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Georgia Southern women's basketball rebounded from its first loss of the season to knock off Bethune-Cookman, 63-60, on Tuesday evening at Historic Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach.
The Eagles (3-1) won for the first time in three tries at Moore Gymnasium against the Wildcats, who fell to 0-4 on the year with the loss.
The first quarter saw both teams commit eight turnovers and shoot well below 35% from the field, but the Eagles held a slim 12-11 advantage after the period. Each team scored 14 points in the second period, giving Georgia Southern a 26-25 lead at the break.
Im the second half, the Eagles opened up its largest lead of the game, 44-34, with 3:41 left in the third quarter, but Bethune-Cookman responded with a 9-0 run that stretched into the fourth quarter.
A three-pointer by O'Mariyah Tucker gave B-C a 57-56 lead with 1:23 left in the fourth, but Terren Ward responded by getting to the free throw line and putting the Eagles back in front, 58-57, with 1:07 left. The Eagles got two big defensive stops, then Ward made five of six free throws in the game's final 12 seconds to secure the victory.
Ward and Le'Andrea Gillis each scored 17 points to lead the Eagles offensively, while Tucker's double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds led the Wildcats.
Eagle of the Game
Gillis' season-high 17 points came on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. She added three rebounds and a pair of assists while also drawing a charge.
Stat of the Game
The Eagles were just 3-of-5 from the free throw line in the first three quarters of the game against the Wildcats, but went 9-of-12 from the line in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Quotables
Head Coach Anita Howard's comments on the close win to go 2-1 on the road swing
"It's all about learning, growing and developing. Our loss on Saturday prepared us for this moment. We stayed locked-in and focused. We made defensive plays, and then knocked down our free throws when it mattered."
Next Up
Georgia Southern returns home on Sunday, November 27, hosting Life University for a 2 p.m. non-conference contest at Hanner Fieldhouse.
