Georgia Southern 63, Jacksonville State 50STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern post players Briana Jones, Danielle Spencer and Sierra Kirkland combined for 33 points and 29 rebounds, and the Eagles never trailed en route to a 63-50 women’s basketball victory over Jacksonville State in their home opener Saturday evening in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Jones and Spencer each posted double-doubles for the Eagles (1-2) with Jones collecting 13 points and 14 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots. Spencer added 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Kirkland collected eight points, all in the second half, and three rebounds. Anna Claire Knight contributed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Candace Morton led Jacksonville State (0-3) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Miranda Cantrell tallied 12 points and 10 boards.
Georgia Southern held the Gamecocks to 27.5 percent shooting for the game while posting a 42.6 percentage on their offensive end.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-2 lead to start the game with the aid of consecutive 3-pointers by Knight and Angel McGowan. Georgia Southern pushed the lead to 10 points before Morton scored four points in a 6-0 Gamecock run. The Eagles answered with a 15-4 spurt to open a 15-point advantage. McGowan ignited the run with a triple, and MiMi DuBose scored five points during the stretch as the Eagles went into the break with a 35-20 lead.
Jacksonville State trimmed the margin to 39-30 with an 8-2 run early in the second frame, but a 14-3 Georgia Southern run pushed the margin to 18 points. Jones, Spencer and Kirkland had all 14 points during the stretch.
Arkansas 74, Western Carolina 45Fayetteville Ark. – Kelsey Brooks paced four Razorbacks in double figures with 16 points and Arkansas tallied 28 points off 22 Furman turnovers en route to a 74-45 victory over the Paladins in women’s basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.
The loss dropped the Paladins to 1-2 on the season while Arkansas improved to 3-0.
Brooks connected on 7-of-10 field goal attempts to lead the Razorbacks in scoring while Jessica Jackson scored 13 points, McKenzie Adams netted 12 points and Keira Peak added 11.
Arkansas led 12-9 in the early going before holding the Paladins to just two made field goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half to extend its lead to 39-19 at intermission. The Razorbacks shot 55.6% from the field in the second half, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, to finish at 49.2% for the game. Furman trimmed the margin to 17 points early in the second half, but Brooks tallied 10 points in a 15-3 Razorback run to give Arkansas a 61-32 advantage with 11:32 to play.
Junior Brittany Hodges tallied 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added nine rebounds to lead the Paladins. Sophomore Holli Wilkins scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting to give Furman two players in double figures.
Arkansas out-rebounded the Paladins 41-30 and finished with a commanding 48-18 edge in points in the paint. Furman shot just 32.1% from the floor while connecting on just 4-of-19 three-point tries.
Campbell 73, Western Carolina 60BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Three players scored in double figures as Western Carolina women’s basketball (0-3) fell 73-60 to Campbell (2-1) Saturday at Gore Arena/Pope Center.
Western Carolina led 33-27 at the half. Campbell came out in the second half to outscore the Catamounts 46-27 in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Sophomore guard Lindsay Simpson scored 14 of Western Carolina’s 27 second half points to end the contest with 16 points coming off the bench. It was her third straight double figure scoring performance. She paces the team averaging 16.7 points in the first three games of the season.
Senior guard Rena Wakama added 13 points in the game. Newcomer junior guard Justin Taylor added 11. Taylor scored nine of her points in the first half and was held to just two in the second.
Western Carolina was held in check for most of the second half after enjoying the six point lead at the half. The Camels scored six unanswered points to tie the game at 33 to start the second half. Taylor scored her only bucket of the second half to put WCU up 35-33 before Roslyn Pressley scored for the Camels to tie it for the second time in the half.
The game would see-saw for the first 10 minutes of the second half. It would be knotted at 51 the fifth tie in the final 20 minutes, and sixth in the game, when Simpson hit one of two free throws.
Pressley struck again, she scored all of her game-high 21 points in the second half, when she gave Campbell the lead for good off a jumper with 9:51 remaining. Pressley’s bucket propelled Campbell to an 8-0 run and sealed the game for the Camels.
Campbell built its first double digit lead, 67-56, with 4:41 remaining on a three-pointer by RaeChaun Edwards. Western Carolina’s Brianne Mack connected on a jumper and hit a free throw, after being fouled, to cut the Camel lead back to eight, 67-59, but Campbell answered again with Pressley hitting 1-of-2 free throws.
Western Carolina did not hit a field goal in the final three minutes of the game and scored just one point, a free throw by Wakama.
After shooting 36.7 percent in the first half, Campbell shot a scorching 53.1 percent in the second ending the game at 45.2. Western Carolina stayed even in both halves shooting 36.7 in the first half, 34.6 in the second and 35.7 percent overall.
Campbell got 40 points in the paint and ripped down 29 defensive rebounds to outrebound Western Carolina 45-35. Western Carolina did connect on one more three-pointer then Campbell with the Catamounts hitting seven to the Camels six.