STATESBORO - Spudd Webb scored 19 points, and Georgia Southern (4-5) used a dominant second half to pull away from Houston Christian (4-3), 80-62 on Saturday at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.

Alden Applewhite posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles, who outscored the Huskies 46-35 after halftime and shot 50 percent from the field. Jefferson Koulibaly added 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and Tyren Moore scored 11 with three three-pointers.

Georgia Southern led 34-27 at the break behind active defense and a 14-0 edge in fast-break points. Webb opened the second half with a block and a pair of layups that helped spark a 13-6 run, pushing the margin into double figures. The Eagles finished with 38 points in the paint and scored 18 points off Houston Christian's 15 turnovers.

Ryan Bartley and Demarco Bethea led Houston Christian with 11 points apiece. The Huskies shot 41 percent but were held to 1-of-8 in fast-break opportunities and were out-rebounded 38-36.

The Eagles knocked down 10 of 25 from beyond the arc, including three each from Moore and Koulibaly. The Eagles' bench contributed 17 points, and Shainen Carter had three blocks to anchor a defensive effort that produced six steals and five rejections.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Georgia Southern, led by Jefferson Koulibaly, pushed its lead to 9-6 at the first media timeout, as Koulibaly knocked down both his attempts for five points in the first five and a half minutes.

• The Eagles snapped a nearly five-minute drought using baskets from Spudd Webb to regain the lead and hold a 19-16 advantage heading to the under-eight-minute timeout.

• The Blue and White closed out the first half, scoring the final six points to give Georgia Southern a seven-point advantage heading to the break, 34-27.

• Houston Christian came out of the half fast, cutting the advantage down to one with a 5-for-5 start to the second half, 41-40.

• Following back-to-back successful challenges by head coach Charlie Henry, Georgia Southern pushed the lead to nine, after Tyren Moore drained two three-pointers, 53-46.

• Georgia Southern's offense came alive in the middle of the second half, growing its lead to 13 points, after a barrage of tough baskets by Koulibaly.

NOTES

• Graduate guard Jefferson Koulibaly collected a season-high 15 points against Houston Christian, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown. He added five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

• Five Eagles were in double figures on Saturday, as Spudd Webb led the charge with 19, Koulibaly added 15, Alden Applewhite posted 13, Tyren Moore collected 11, and Tsvet Sotirov tallied 10.

• Alden Applewhite collected the second double-double of the season for the Eagles, scoring 13 points (5-12) and gathering 10 rebounds. It marks the second double-double of the season for Applewhite and is the seventh time this season he has scored in double figures.

• Georgia Southern improved to 11-3 in the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, defeating Houston Christian.

• The Eagles out-rebounded the Huskies 38-36, while outscoring the Huskies 38-34 in points in the paint.

• Head coach Charlie Henry picked up career win No. 30 on Saturday, defeating Houston Christian inside the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center. 

UP NEXT

• Georgia Southern men's basketball is back at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center on Wednesday evening, hosting Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will celebrate 912 night.