The 2014-15 regular season is in the books for Georgia State women’s basketball as the Panthers lost to the Georgia Southern Eagles by a final score of 82-74.
The Panthers conclude the regular season at 13-16 and 8-12 in Sun Belt play.
Georgia State will be the eighth seed in the Sun Belt tournament in New Orleans. They will face the top-seeded University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) Trojans in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday.
First Half
Georgia Southern assumed an early 2-0 as a two-pointer by senior Eagles guard Anna Claire Knight made a two-point shot. The Panthers’ Kennesha Nichols responded with two of her own, tying the game.
With the two teams tied at four, Brittany Logan increased her point output to four, giving Georgia State a 6-4 lead. Georgia Southern embarked on an 8-0 run as sophomore guards Alexis Sams and Angel McGowan each made threes along with another Knight two-pointer, giving the Eagles a 12-6 lead.
After a timeout from Georgia State, Haley Gerrin’s first two points of the game produced a 12-8 score. McGowan would score five consecutive points, upping Georgia Southern’s lead to 17-8.
Alisha Andrews later made a three, bringing the Panthers within six at 17-11. The Eagles embarked on a 10-0 run as McGowan scored eight more.
With the Eagles ahead 32-14, Kennesha Nichols upped her point output to four, bringing the Panthers within 16 at 32-16. Knight and Sams each made threes, extending the Georgia Southern lead to 38-16.
Georgia State went on a 7-0 run with three points each from Logan and Gaby Moss.
The Panthers closed to 39-25 before McGowan increased her point output to 18 and the Eagles’ lead to 41-25 as they headed into halftime.
Second Half
Andrews fouled Sams begining of the second half. Sams made one of two from the line. Logan made both of shots after Jones fouled her, drawing Georgia State within 15 at 42-27.
The Eagles maintained their 15-point lead at 44-29 and 46-31. Logan increased her point total to 12 with a made free throw after Jones fouled her. Andrews later stole the ball from Sams, but double-dribbled the basketball as she went for a layup.
The next Georgia Southern possession saw Butler make their ninth three of the game, expanding the lead to 17 at 49-32.
That lead grew to 20 at 52-32 as McGowan made three more points and to 55-32 as Butler increased her point output to 11.
I Andrews’ seventh and eighth points made it a 55-34 game.
The Eagles maintained their 21-point lead at 57-36 and 59-38. Gaby Moss made four points and Morgan Jackson contributed three for a 7-0 Georgia State run, bringing the Panthers within 59-45.
Butler and McGowan responded with layups for Georgia Southern, expanding their lead back to 18 at 63-45.
Junior Eagles forward Sierra Kirkland made one free throw after Jackson fouled her. Knight made a layup and free throw after being fouled by Ashlee Cole, increasing the Georgia Southern lead to 67-47.
Mariam Hannoun later made her first two points, trimming the deficit to 67-49 prior to another Butler three, expanding the lead to 70-49.
Logan’s 13th and 14th points gave the Panthers 19 at 70-51 prior to another Butler three, expanding the Georgia Southern lead to 73-51.
Georgia State embarked on an 8-0 run as Nichols put up four more points.
Cole made her first two, closing the deficit to 14 at 73-59 with less than four minutes to play.
Kirkland made one from the line after Nichols fouled her, then Moss made her third three-pointer of the game, increasing her point output to 15 and trimming the deficit to 12 at 74-62.
Nichols fouled Knight, who made one from the line. Gerrin and Ashley Watson made two-pointers, closing the deficit to nine at 75-66.
With Georgia Southern leading 77-68, Andrews upped her point total to 12, closing the gap to seven at 77-70.
Panthers turnovers in addition to Sams making one free throw and Knight making two expanded the Eagles’ lead to 80-70.
On the ensuing Panthers possession, Gerrin grabbed an offensive rebound and turned it into points, trimming the deficit to 80-72.
The Eagles maintained their eight-point lead at 82-74 as time expired.
The Panthers will face the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament in New Orleans at 12:30 p.m.
| Georgia State | Georgia Southern |
|---|---|
| Moss: 17 points, 7-13 shooting | Logan: 14 points, 5-7 shooting |
| McGowan: 25 points, 10-12 shooting | Butler: 21 points, 8-12 shooting |
