STATESBORO - As Georgia Southern wrapped up its 50+ years in Hanner Fieldhouse with last weekend's 68-64 win over Longwood, we dove into the archives to come up with the Top 5 women's basketball games in the gym dating back to the first season of intercollegiate competition in 1974-75.

The games below are presented in chronological order.

January 1, 1975
GS 78, Georgia 70

On January 1, 1975, Georgia Southern women's basketball made history with a 78-70 victory over the University of Georgia. This win was especially significant because it was the team's first-ever victory in Hanner in their inaugural season as a varsity program. While detailed records from that time are scarce, the win stands out as a major milestone in the early years of the program. Georgia Southern would win eight of the first 10 meetings between the two in-state rivals from 1975-80.

The victory over Georgia, a powerhouse in the state, showed that Georgia Southern could compete at a high level despite being a new program. It helped build the foundation for what would become a strong women's basketball tradition at the school, setting the stage for future successes in the Southern Conference and beyond.

March 7, 1987
GS 74, Florida A&M 69
Georgia Southern Wins NSWAC Championship with 74-69 Victory over Florida A&M

On March 7, 1987, the Georgia Southern Eagles captured their first-ever New South Women's Athletic Conference (NSWAC) Tournament Championship, defeating Florida A&M 74-69. The victory marked a major milestone for the program, as Georgia Southern claimed the title in the championship game under head coach Jeannie Milling.

The Florida A&M Rattlerettes, led by coach Cynthia A. Cooper, were a tough opponent, building an 18-point lead with 14 minutes left to play in the second half. But behind the play of Tournament MVP Phylette Blake, who recorded 28 points and 17 rebounds, along with Regina Days' 17 points and 13 rebounds and Antoinette Brown's late-game scoring surge, the Eagles were able to come away with the championship win on their home court. 

"I knew we could do it," Coach Milling said after the game. "I never thought about us losing this game. This team did it against Georgia State [in the semifinals] and I knew they could do it again. They just executed perfectly in the last few minutes of the game."

The crowd was a big part in the Eagles' comeback victory as well.

"It felt like heaven when the game finally ended," said Blake. "We got down like that against State and came back. I just said there was no reason to give up. But without the fans, I don't think we'd have been able to come back."

"The crowd was awesome," said Sharon Thomas, who contributed seven points and three rebounds. "They were great the whole night."

The title, combined with the regular season crown, began a string of three championships for the Eagles in the NSWAC over a four-year span. 

To this date, the game is the only conference tournament championship to have been won by the Eagles on their home court.

February 11, 1989
GS 84, Georgia State 80 (2 overtimes)

On February 11, 1989, Georgia Southern made history with a thrilling 84-80 overtime win over Georgia State, marking the longest women's basketball game in Hanner Fieldhouse history.

In a back-and-forth game, Georgia State held a 63-61 lead with 44 seconds left, but NSWAC Player of the Year Phylette Blake hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to send the game to a first overtime.

In the first overtime period, Georgia State opened up a 71-68 lead with 46 seconds left. The Eagles' Leigh Lynch had a game-tying three-point chance on the next possession, but she misfired, giving the ball back to the Panthers. However, on the inbounds play, the Eagles forced a turnover and Georgia Southern got the ball back with 33 seconds left. This time, Lynch did not miss, hitting the tying three-pointer to send the game to a second overtime.

In the second overtime, the Eagles went on an 8-4 run that gave Georgia Southern a 79-75 lead with 2:03 left. Georgia State surged back with five straight points to take an 80-79 lead with 1:06 left, but Tracy Wilson's jumper gave the Eagles back the lead 20 seconds later. A free throw from Blake pushed the lead to two, and Georgia State had a game-tying layup rim out with three seconds left. Deb Blackshear secured the rebound and was fouled, where she made two free throws for the final 84-80 margin.

Blake finished the game with 19 points, while Blackshear added 16 points and Lynch notched 10.
 

March 5, 1994
GS 92, Furman 85
Eagles Clinch SoCon Regular Season Title

On March 5, 1994, Georgia Southern women's basketball secured a thrilling 92-85 victory over Furman, a win that also clinched the Eagles' first-ever Southern Conference regular-season championship. The game was a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest, where Georgia Southern's offensive firepower, led by standout performances from Janice Johnson and Andrea Autrey, proved to be the difference.

Janice Johnson was the star of the game, scoring an impressive 33 points with an exceptional shooting performance. She made 12 of 15 field goals and was perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 8 of 8 attempts. Johnson played all 35 minutes, providing the Eagles with both scoring and leadership. At the time, the 33-point game was the 19th-best single-game scoring performance in school history.

"I knew that this was going to be a good game, and my shots haven't been falling lately," Johnson said after the game. "But I knew that I had to shoot the ball. They were falling, so I just kept on shooting the ball, building up some confidence. I had a feeling that I was setting a career high but I wasn't really concerned with it - I just wanted to win."

The game also set a new attendance mark as 626 people saw the Eagles earn their first regular season title.

Andrea Autrey also had a strong performance, contributing 29 points. She shot 12-for-20 from the field and 5-for-7 from the line, while also playing the full 35 minutes. Together, Johnson and Autrey carried Georgia Southern's offense, keeping the pressure on Furman throughout the game.

The win was significant for Georgia Southern, not just for the victory itself but for the milestone it represented—the first regular-season SoCon title in program history. Under head coach Drema Greer, the team had steadily improved, and this win was a testament to their growth and competitiveness in the conference. Johnson's perfect free-throw shooting in the final minutes and the overall efficiency of the team helped seal the victory. The Eagles would go on to capture the SoCon Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Championships for a second straight year.

February 21, 1998
GS 78, Western Carolina 74
Eagles Again Clinch SoCon Regular Season Title

On February 21, 1998, Georgia Southern women's basketball secured a dramatic 78-74 victory over Western Carolina in a crucial Southern Conference showdown. Coached by Rusty Cram, the Eagles' win secured a wire-to-wire performance as the top team in the SoCon and earned the Eagles the top seed in the conference tournament

Telly Hall, Sharon Mitchell, and Rosie Arnold were top performers for the Eagles. Hall and Mitchell both scored 18 points, with Hall shooting 9-for-13 from the field and playing 22 minutes, while Mitchell went 8-for-13 and played 28 minutes. Arnold, who also contributed significantly, finished with 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, playing a team-high 33 minutes. These three players carried the load offensively, and their strong performances were key in helping the Eagles hold off a late rally from Western Carolina.

A crowd of 905 watched the Eagles and the Catamounts exchange leads eight times in the first half as WCU led by two, 42-40, at halftime. 

Hall scored the first four points of the second half to put the Eagles back in front. WCU went back ahead and held that lead until a layup from Mitchell gave Georgia Southern a 56-55 lead with 9:52 remaining, a lead that the Eagles would not relinquish.

"I couldn't believe it," Hall - the lone senior on the squad for Coach Cram and the Eagles - said. "I couldn't watch at the end. It kind of got scary. I've never had that chance at a championship before."

"It's hard as it is just to get there," said Cram. "But to get there and stay there, that says a lot about this ball club to hold it that long."

Accounts from the Statesboro Herald, the George-Anne and GS Athletics Communications contributed to this article.