SAN MARCOS, Texas — In front the third-largest crowd for a Texas State women's basketball game inside Strahan Arena, Texas State overcame a half-time deficit before holding Georgia Southern to only six points in the third quarter then hitting crunch-time free throws to knock off the Eagles, 72-68, Thursday afternoon.  

As Avionne Alexander knotted the game at 66 with 2:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, the momentum began to shift. Even after Tatum Barber pushed Georgia Southern ahead by two following a layup with 2:30 left, the ball was still in Texas State's court and Brooke Holle made good on that.

Two days before her final regular-season game inside Strahan Arena at the University Events Center, Holle, who finished with 13 points, knocked down all three free throws she was awarded after being fouled by Alexis Brown when attempting a 3-point shot with 2:08 to play in the game. The end result was Texas State entered the final two minutes of game action up, 69-68, over Georgia Southern.

As Barber, who finished with 19 points for the Eagles, missed a jumper at the 1:54 mark, Texas State (11-15, 4-11) attempted to stretch its lead further out. However, Holle was called for a turnover, but Georgia Southern's Hailey Dias-Allen was whistled for a foul and turnover with 69 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Texas State milked the clock down to 43 seconds before Da'Nasia Hood, who recorded her third career double-double as the sophomore finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds while playing the entire fourth quarter with four fouls, attempted a jumper, but it was rebounded by the Eagles.

For the second time in less than a minute, Georgia Southern (9-18, 6-10) was whistled for a charge to give the ball back to the Bobcats in a one-point game with 30 seconds left to play.

Hood, however, extended the Bobcat lead to three when she converted two free throw opportunities with 21 seconds left. Hood continued her dominance in the closing minute as she forced an Eagle turnover and was credited with a steal before finding Jayla Johnson, who was fouled with 10 seconds remaining.

Johnson split a pair of free throws with the backend making it a four-point game. Amira Atwater missed a 3-point attempt for Georgia Southern with four seconds left to seal the Bobcat victory.

Kennedy Taylor finished her afternoon two assists shy of her first career double-double as the sophomore ended the game with 13 points, eight assists and five steals. Johnson and Alexander combined with finished with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and brought down nine total rebounds between the two.

Texas State will look for its fifth win in the month of February next time out when the Bobcats host Georgia State (8-18, 5-10) on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m.