A record-breaking 5,322 fans packed the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center on Sunday, creating an “unreal” atmosphere to watch the Georgia Southern women’s basketball team take on the No. 5 LSU Tigers.
While the Eagles ultimately fell 118-70, the story of the game was the team’s resilience—a fight that earned the respect of both their own coach and LSU’s legendary head coach, Kim Mulkey.
LSU’s elite talent was on full display, led by Savannah native Flau’jae Johnson in her hometown-area return. “It was just so special,” Johnson said post-game. “My grandparents… they got to see me play… All my family. It was great.”
Johnson’s star power, combined with the Tigers’ size and speed, allowed them to build a significant lead in the first quarter. Their dominance on the boards was the key difference.
“We talked about in this stretch, we’re going to get exposed in our deficiencies… and we just absolutely got pounded on the glass,” Georgia Southern Head Coach Hana Haden said. “It’s really, really hard to be competitive when you get out-matched down there.”
Despite the size disadvantage and the lopsided score, the Eagles never quit. After a halftime talk about “stay[ing] the course,” the team came out with a noticeable spark. The Eagles finished the game with 70 points and hit 10 three-pointers.
Four Eagles scored in double figures, led by junior Kyla Bryant, who finished with a team-high 18 points. Fifth-year McKenna Eddings added 13 points, while graduate transfer Shanti Simmons and freshman Kayla Cleaveland each chipped in 10.
That fight did not go unnoticed by the opposing bench.
“I thought her team played about as hard as they probably are capable,” Coach Mulkey said of Georgia Southern. “They were doing everything they could… there was a period there in the third quarter where they cut the lead and showed you that they never gave up. They never quit playing.”
For the GSU players, the game was a historic experience. “I’m a junior, and this is the most people I’ve played in front of,” said Bryant. “It was a great experience for us.”
Coach Haden hopes this is the new standard. “A record crowd, the atmosphere was phenomenal. I thought our kids competed really hard… I’m proud of our group for fighting for 40 minutes.”
