by By Michael Eldridge | @DFWSportsMike
STATESBORO, Ga. – UT Arlington outscored Georgia Southern 12-0 in overtime to down the Eagles 53-41 at Hanner Fieldhouse on Thursday night.
The Lady Mavericks (9-11, 4-6 Sun Belt) ended a streak of eight consecutive overtime losses dating back to 2010 and improved to 4-0 all-time against Georgia Southern. Rebekah VanDijk earned her fourth consecutive double-double, eighth overall, to lead three UTA scorers in double figures. VanDijk had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Lauren Billie (Creek/Seminole) matched a career high with 11 points, all during a five-minute outburst in the second half. Cierra Johnson finished with 10 points.
Despite frequent scoring droughts in the first half, Georgia Southern’s ability to knock down the 3-pointer helped it to a lead at the break. The Eagles hit on 5 of their first 6 attempts to hold an early 15-6 advantage just four minutes into the game.
LaShanda Green (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) provided UTA its lone 3-pointer of the opening half as she connected late in the first. Her trey ended what was a scoreless streak of more than five minutes. Georgia Southern was unable to expand its lead, struggling to score on a five-minute run of its own. The Lady Mavs continued to be cold in the second quarter, going 0-of-8 from beyond the arc, while GS hit on two its three attempts.
Offensive struggles continued well into the second half for both teams. The Eagles went scoreless for another five-minute run midway through the third, but UTA wasn’t able to take advantage. The Lady Mavs, trailing by just three during the stretch, went 0-7 from the field and turned the ball over five times.
It was Billie that provided the offense to lift UTA. Billie connected on a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the third and gave the Lady Mavs their first lead since eight seconds in the game with another to start the fourth. Billie’s 11-point run gave UTA a four-point lead.
As the Lady Mavs seemed to control the final minutes, it was the Eagles that finished regulation strong. The Eagles converted on a trey with 27.0 left in the game to tie the contest. Green had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but her attempt bounced off the front of the rim.
Head Coach Krista Gerlich on the play of LaurenBillie:
“She is the reason we won that game. She gave us the spark that we needed. She has waited for that and has worked hard for it. I am really excited that she got that opportunity.”
