Georgia Southern Uses Big Second Half To Upend Bobcats

Texas State returns home to Strahan Coliseum next week for a pair of games against the Sun Belt Conference’s Alabama institutions.

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern scored 50 second-half points, but Texas State still had the go-ahead 3-pointer rim out in the final two seconds as the Eagles held on to win 71-69 Saturday afternoon in Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball action.

Texas State’s Toshua Leavitt connected on two of her career-high six 3-pointers in the final 1:37 to twice bring the Bobcats with a single point of Georgia Southern.

Leavitt had a final look from three in the waning second, but the sophomore’s shot bounced around the rim and out as Eagles halted the Bobcats’ four-game win streak at four.

Leavitt led Texas State (14-11, 9-5 Sun Belt) with a career-high 22 points, shooting 8 of 16 overall (6 of 11 from 3-point range).

Kaitlin Walla and Taeler Deer joined Leavitt in double-figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively. As a team, Texas State finished shooting 43.1 percent (25 of 58) and outscored the Eagles 28-21 off the bench.

Georgia Southern (12-14, 8-7 Sun Belt) was led by Patrice Butler’s 24 points, which included 22 after halftime. Angel McGowan scored 21 for the Eagles on 7 of 13 overall, including 3 of 7 from deep.

The Eagles closed the game shooting 42.9 percent (27 of 63), outscored the Bobcats 34-20 in the paint and 13-7 off turnovers.

Deer and Leavitt each sank two 3-pointers to account for the Bobcats’ first 12 points of the game. Ti’Aira Pitts stretched TXST’s lead to 14-0 with a score inside before McGowan put the Eagles on the board with a basket at the 4:04 mark.

De’Jionae Calloway accounted for the Bobcats’ last four points of the quarter as TXST led 18-7 through 10 minutes of play.

Texas State made just one of its first six shots – a 3-pointer by Walla – to open the second quarter, and Georgia Southern took advantage to piece together a 9-3 run and trim the Bobcats’ lead to 21-17.

However, the Eagles would not make a shot over the next 2:43, allowing the Bobcats to reestablish a double-digit lead at 27-19 with a 6-0 run by way of two layups by Ericka May and one by Calloway.

Jessica Marcus broke the Eagles’ scoring drought with a basket inside at the 3:04 mark, but was quickly answered by a May’s third layup of the game. Texas State went on to outscore its hosts 3-2 the rest of the second quarter for a 32-21 halftime lead.

Georgia Southern outscored Texas State 25-17 in the third quarter to cut the Bobcats’ once-14-point lead to three at 49-46.

The Eagles knocked down 10 of their 13 shot attempts in the period, including five straight to trim TXST’s 42-31 advantage to 45-41 at the 1:41 mark.

After Kiani Lurry split two free throws, Georgia Southern’s Alexis Foulks connected on the Eagles’ third 3-pointer of the quarter, cutting TXST’s lead to a single possession at 46-44.

However, Walla answered with her third trey of the game to push the Bobcats back up five.

Butler then capped the quarter’s scoring with a baseline jumper as time expired, reducing the Bobcats lead to 49-46.

Georgia Southern tied the game at 50 1:26 into the fourth quarter on a Butler tip-in off a missed free throw. Moments later the Eagles took their first lead of the game at 52-51 on a McGowan fastbreak layup.

Georgia Southern would stretch its lead to 60-53 with just under five minutes to play.

Down seven, Walla and Leavitt combined for five quick points to cut the Eagle advantage to a single possession.

However, each time McGowan answered with points to keep the Bobcats at bay, setting up Leavitt’s final minute 3-pointers.