— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) March 2, 2023

With the win over the Eagles (20-8) inside the Pensacola Bay Center, the Red Wolves have also claimed two wins in the conference tournament for the first time since 2015.

Lauryn Pendleton joined Higginbottom in double figures, scoring 15 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds. Leilani Augmon scored nine off the bench, while Mailyn Wilkerson added nine and went 2-for-4 from deep.

A-State shot 41.5 percent (27-65) from the floor and connected on 10-of-26 (38.5 percent) from the perimeter, while going 17-for-21 (81.0 percent) at the charity stripe. Defensively, the Scarlet and Black gained 23 takeaways that resulted in 31 points, while limiting the Eagles to 37.7-percent shooting (29-77). Georgia Southern struggled at the foul line, shooting just 45.8 percent (11-24).

Georgia Southern had three double-figure scorers, including two with double-doubles, led by Taya Gibson’s 26 points and 14 rebounds. Terren Ward battled early foul trouble, finishing with 17 points and 10 boards, while Simone James scored 14 points to accompany eight rebounds.

A-State got off to a hot start, shooting 58.8 percent (10-17) from the field in the first quarter – 71.4 percent (5-7) from deep en route to opening up a double-digit lead. The Red Wolves answered early scores by the Eagles with a 10-0 run and force a timeout with a 19-8 lead at the 3:35 mark. Georgia Southern rallied to pull within seven, but back-to-back Patton treys extended the lead back out to 13, as A-State led 27-14 after 10 minutes.

Georgia Southern edged A-State 13-9 in the second quarter as the Scarlet and Black cooled off offensively, but retained a 36-27 lead at the break.

The Eagles turned to the transition game out of intermission, pulling to within a possession with 10 of the first 14 points, but Wilkerson halted the run with a step-back trey to push that advantage back out to six. Georgia Southern then tied it with six unanswered, taking a three-point lead on a trey by James and leading 53-50 after three.

A-State and Higginbottom buckled down in the fourth quarter, forcing four ties and remaining within two scores throughout the period. Trailing by four with under 30 seconds to go, Anna Griffin sank a trey with 26 seconds remaining to cut it to one. After Ward connected on 1-of-2 at the line, Pendleton grabbed the board and A-State called timeout to advance to the frontcourt.

A perfectly executed inbounds play saw Pendleton tie it at 72-all with a midrange jumper with eight seconds left in regulation. Georgia Southern missed a pair of last-second shots, forcing five more minutes.
 

????????????’?? ????????.@AStateWB‘s Lauryn Pendleton from THREE! All tied up at 72 with 9.3 on the clock #SunBeltWB ???? pic.twitter.com/wbrceCAEz2

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) March 2, 2023

Arkansas State scored six unanswered to open the extra frame, leading 78-72 and forcing a Georgia Southern timeout. The Eagles cut it to three on a layup by Shy Booker with under 90 seconds remaining, but A-State was able to maintain the lead, fittingly sealing it with a pair of Higginbottom free throws at the 24-second mark.
 

Extending our stay at #SunBeltWBB ? ????#WolvesUp?? x #NetsAintFree? pic.twitter.com/RvcowTWpiW

— Arkansas State Women’s Basketball ?? (@AStateWB) March 2, 2023

NEXT UP

The Red Wolves return to the floor Friday in the Sun Belt Quarterfinals, taking on third-seeded Southern Miss (20-9). Tip-off versus the Lady Eagles is set for 5 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network stations 95.3/96.9/970 AM The Ticket Radio Network in Jonesboro.

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.