While students were away for the holidays, Georgia Southern basketball didn’t take a break. Both the men’s and women’s squads delivered historic performances between finals week and the start of the spring semester, positioning themselves as serious Sun Belt contenders.

Women’s Basketball 

The Lady Eagles made national waves straight out of the gate. On Dec. 12, the team shattered the program’s single-game scoring record with a massive 136-74 victory over Coastal Georgia. The game also saw freshman standout Kayla Cleaveland etch her name in the record books, dropping a freshman-record 35 points.

They carried that momentum into conference play, picking up wins against Georgia State (68-47) and App State (67-54). Although their streak hit a snag in a heartbreaking 87-84 double-overtime loss at Old Dominion on New Year’s Day, the team showed resilience. They bounced back immediately on Jan. 3, grinding out a 60-50 road win at Coastal Carolina to stay near the top of the conference standings.

Men’s Basketball: 

The men’s team was one of the best teams in the Sun Belt over the break, stringing together a nine-game winning streak that included multiple nail-biters.

The Eagles proved they can handle pressure, taking down James Madison 96-92 in overtime on December 20th. They followed it up with another heart-stopper on New Year’s Day at Coastal Carolina, securing an 82-81 OT victory. 

Graduate student Spudd Webb (Tavarus Webb) lived up to his legendary name, sinking the game-winning free throw with just two seconds left to seal the win against Coastal Carolina. They capped the break with a high-scoring 93-86 win at Old Dominion on Jan. 3, proving their offense travels well.