The Georgia Southern University women’s basketball team continued to struggle against its conference foes as it fell to Appalachian State University on Saturday.

Back and forth basketball is what it came down to, at least until the last six minutes of the game. The Eagles were within three points until the Mountaineers went on an 11-2 run in the final 6:02.

"For 35 or 36 minutes I thought we played hard, but we seemed to tire out and they took over. We knew we were going to have to keep them off the offensive glass. We did a great job of it in the first half but totally dominated the offensive glass in the last four or five minutes," said head coach Rust Cram.

GSU came down with only half of the number of rebounds that App. State came down with. With a total of 25 to the Mountaineers 50, the Eagles were well below its normal number of rebounds per game this season. One figure you can attribute this statistic towards is App. State’s size. The Mountaineers had three starters over six feet tall, whereas GSU had no starters above that mark.

However coach Cram thinks that should not have been a factor.  “I don’t think it was the size I think it was the effort, you can block out somebody seven feet tall and we didn’t block out that’s the bottom line. We didn’t do our job and they capitalized on it and that makes them a good team. We didn’t capitalize on what they gave us…the bottom line is we didn’t block out and gave them second chances,” said Coach Cram.

The Eagles put up more of fight than it did in the last game against App. State in which the team was defeated 65-46. However,  the athleticism and the size of the Mountaineers over-powered and outlasted GSU’s zone defense. The Mountaineers boasted a 16-3 record going into the matchup, and improved upon that mark as it came out victorious with a final score of 57-46.

GSU must bounce back quickly as it plays its next game today against the Davidson University Wildcats at Hanner Fieldhouse at five p.m. With only seven games left until the Southern Conference tournament the Eagles will need to hit its stride at the right time.
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