ATLANTA – A 21-2 run that began midway through the first quarter Saturday helped lift Georgia State to a 76-64 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball victory over the University of South Alabama at the Georgia State Sports Arena.

Taylor Hosendove ended up leading the Panthers (13-10, 9-7 Sun Belt) — who had four players score in double figures — with a 16-point, 10-rebound performance while also recording a game-high-tying seven assists.  GSU had Joelle Johnson post 14 points, Taylor Henderson score 11 and Hannah Sadler add 10 as well.

Antoinette Lewis paced the Jaguars (12-12, 9-9 SBC) with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocked shots, while Casey Ferguson chipped in with 18 points after making 6-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc.   Devyn Lowe contributed 14 points and five rebounds, and Mahogany Vaught finished with 11 points and seven assists also for USA.

Georgia State 76, South Alabama 64 (box score)

GAME FACTS
-The Panthers closed the opening quarter with a 13-2 run to go ahead 18-16 after 10 minutes of play.
-The spurt would grow to 21-2 after GSU posted eight points in the first two minutes of the second period, and after forcing the Jags into 3-of-15 (20 percent) shooting in the quarter the lead would be 40-25 at the half.
-GSU scored eight of the first 10 points of the second half to stretch its advantage to 21, with the Panther still ahead 56-41 at the end of the period.
-The Jags made 5-of-11 shots from three-point range in the final quarter to pull within seven points with a minute-and-a-half to go, but GSU answered with seven straight points to seal the win.
-The Panthers finished the contest with a 55-31 rebounding advantage, highlighted by grabbing 23 boards on the offensive end of the floor.
-GSU finished 16-of-20 at the free-throw line while the Jags connected on 30.8 percent (4-of-13) at the charity stripe.

NOTES
-It's the fourth season in a row that South has finished .500 or better in conference play.
-Despite dropping both contests over the weekend, the Jaguars still hold a 12-9 lead in the all-time series with the Panthers.
-That includes splitting 10 match-ups with GSU in Atlanta.
-It's the first time the Panthers have won back-to-back meetings in the series since they claimed three straight contests from Jan. 30, 2014-Feb. 19, 2015.
-South dressed just seven individuals for the regular-season finale.
-This was the first time that Lewis has scored in double figures in back-to-back outings since accomplishing the feat in three straight contests from Jan. 2-9 the first two weekends of Sun Belt play.
-Her last double-double prior to this contest came in a Jan. 29 win over the Panthers in Mobile, as she now has six on the season.
-The forward/center matched a season high with five blocked shots in the first eight minutes of action, with her total at the end the game with a career best; that's the third-highest figure in the Jaguars' record books.
-Ferguson surpassed her previous career high of 12 points set in a Feb. 6 victory at Coastal Carolina as she set a new personal best for three-point field goals in addition to contributing a season-high six rebounds.
-It's the first occasion that Lowe has recorded 10-plus points in consecutive contests dating back to a stretch from Dec. 13-Jan. 9, when she accomplished the feat six games in a row.
-Vaught was credited with not only a career-high assist total, but the most helpers handed out by a Jag during the 2020-21 season thus far.
-Jayla Morrow recorded a career-best three blocked shots — the Jaguars' 12 in the game tied the third-highest total on the program's record list — while equaling a season high with five assists.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Terry Fowler
On the run that broke open the game: "We exerted a lot of energy in a 16-point first quarter — it was 14-4 at one point — which led to us having some tired legs.  We ended up shooting 2-of-11 from three in the second quarter, they were able to make shots and also take some long rebounds and convert them into easy baskets.  As we got tired, we also fouled them and let them complete some and-ones."
On making adjustments playing with just seven players: "The biggest thing is just trying to put each player in a position where they can succeed and help out team to the best of their ability."
On the focus preparing for the Sun Belt Tournament: "We now have an opportunity to practice and put people in different positions, we need to do that so they are prepared to be able to help out even if it is out of their comfort zone.  We need the time to be able to help each individual catch up on those things they might now be asked to do."

Up next: The Jags will open up play in the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Friday, with game time and the opponent expected to be announced on Sunday.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

—USA—