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 seconds, but the sophomore's shot bounced around the rim and out as Eagles halted the Bobcats' 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. Bulter 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.
  • Texas State returns home to Strahan Coliseum next week for a pair of games against the Sun Belt Conference's Alabama institutions. The Bobcats host South Alabama on Thursday (Feb. 23) at 7 p.m. and Troy on Saturday (Feb. 25) at 2 p.m.
  • The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy.  New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships ­that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from the Texas State ticket office.  For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship – Women's Championship – and be sure to follow the @FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.
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