MOBILE, Ala. - Terren Ward delivered 29 points, including her 1,000th career point, as Georgia Southern collected a 75-59 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball victory over host South Alabama on Wednesday evening in Mobile.
The Eagles moved to 19-7 overall and 11-6 in the Sun Belt with the victory. The 19 wins surpasses last year's 18 wins and represents the most wins in a single season at Georgia Southern since the 2009-10 squad that went 19-12. South Alabama falls to 6-22 overall and 2-15 with the loss.
Georgia Southern shot a blistering 70.6% from the floor in a 31-point first quarter as the Eagles took a 31-13 lead at the end of the period. Ward had 10 points in the first quarter, then with 2:24 left in the second quarter, she hit a layup for her 1,000th career point, becoming just the 25th player in Georgia Southern women's basketball history to reach the milestone, and the first since Alexis Brown in the 2019-20 campaign.
The Eagles led by 16 points, 46-30, at the break. South Alabama, however, opened the second half on a 12-5 run and cut the lead to four, 56-52, with thirty seconds left in the third quarter. Ward capped the period, however, with a pull-up jumper and the Eagles quickly stretched the lead back to double digits midway through the fourth quarter to come away with the victory.
Ward's 29 points led all scorers on the night, while Taya Gibson added 14 points and nine rebounds. South Alabama placed three players in double figures, led by 12 points apiece by Kiana Anderson and Maggie Robinson.
Player of the Game
Ward hit 12-of-23 shots from the floor, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, en route to her 29 points, the second-most points that she's put up this season. Ward has now registered 20+ points nine times this season and she added six rebounds and three steals on the night.
Stat of the Game
Georgia Southern held South Alabama to just seven points in the fourth quarter, holding the Jaguars to just 11.8% shooting from the floor (2-for-17).
Quotables
Head Coach Anita Howard on the quick start against the Jaguars
"We came out hot and fizzled on down. We knew that we needed to do that because South Alabama is a second-half team, as you saw tonight. But we took our foot off the gas. I keep saying to the team, 'don't look at the score, don't relax' because every night in the Sun Belt is a difficult night. South Alabama is struggling as far as wins and losses, but they're not struggling with their fight. They made it a game tonight."
On Terren Ward passing the 1,000 point milestone
"She puts in the work. She wants to be great. I was pleased to see her performance tonight after scoring only six points in Hanner on Saturday. She put 29 points up that we needed tonight - Eagle Nation is blessed to have a player of Terren's caliber."
Next Up
Georgia Southern wraps up the 2022-23 regular season on Friday, taking on Georgia State in a 6:30 p.m. Sun Belt Conference contest from Atlanta.
