STATESBORO, Ga. (12/31/22) – Five players scored in double figures for the Arkansas State women's basketball team, but it was not enough to overtake a hot-shooting Georgia Southern squad in a 99-86 decision Saturday afternoon inside Hanner Fieldhouse.
A-State (5-8, 0-2 SBC) dwindled a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to nine with under a minute remaining, but the Eagles (9-2, 1-1) converted free-throw tries to widen the gap late. The Scarlet and Black shot 45.1 percent (32-71) from the field and 38.9 percent (7-18) from 3-point range, while the hosts connected on 52.2 percent (35-67) from the field and 42.9 percent (12-28) from deep. Georgia Southern out-rebounded A-State 42-35 but only forced nine turnovers.
Lauryn Pendleton was one of two players with 20-plus points for the Red Wolves (5-8, 0-2 SBC), scoring a season-high 24 points. Jade Upshaw added a career-high 20 points off the bench on four made 3-pointers. Leilani Augmon recorded 12 points in her first career start, while Keya Patton and Kiayra Ellis added 11 points apiece – a career high for Ellis.
Georgia Southern's Terren Ward led all players with 40 points on 14-of-21 shooting and 6-of-10 from long range. She was one of five double-digit scorers for the Eagles, joining Taya Gibson (15 points), Le'Andrea Gillis (12), Andreana Wrister (11) and Ja'nya Love-Hill (10). Gibson led all players with eight rebounds while Love-Hill handed out eight assists.
The Eagles connected on four of their first five from deep to open up a seven-point lead and led 22-15 after the first. A-State pulled within a score on a jumper by Patton with 7:41 to go in the half, but Georgia Southern answered with eight unanswered to lead by 10, ultimately taking a 42-31 lead into intermission.
Georgia Southern expanded its lead out to 17 on a Gillis trey with 4:50 left in the third before A-State clawed back to cut it to 10 to end the period on a 3-pointer by Pendleton. The Eagles took a 66-56 advantage into the fourth.
A layup by Ward pushed Georgia Southern's lead back out to 17 midway through the fourth, but a 10-2 A-State run trimmed the deficit to nine with 1:16 to go. The Eagles held off the Red Wolves during the final minute to close out the win.
NEXT UP
A-State returns home to First National Bank Arena for a pair of contests, beginning Thursday, Jan. 5, versus Troy. Tip-off against the Trojans inside Hanner Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network station 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Network.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State women's basketball program, follow @AStateWB on Twitter and @astatewbb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB.
