STATESBORO, GA – Georgia Southern fought hard but lost to Texas State 77-71 on Wednesday night at the Hill Convocation Center. The Eagles made a late comeback, but Texas State used strong rebounding and free throws to seal the win.

First Half: Back and Forth

The game started tight with both teams trading baskets. Neither side could get a lead bigger than five points. They went back and forth, scoring in the paint and hitting jump shots. Khayri Dunn came off the bench and played well early, scoring 11 points in the first half. Thanks to his effort, the Eagles held a slim 31-30 lead at halftime.

Second Half: Texas State Pulls Away

Texas State came out stronger after the break. They went on a quick run to take the lead. Spudd Webb made a layup to try and stop them, but Texas State kept control. A big reason was their rebounding; they grabbed 40 rebounds compared to Georgia Southern’s 25. This helped them build a 13-point lead with about six minutes left to play.

The Finish

The Eagles refused to quit. They went on a run and cut the lead down to just four points (71-67) with one minute left on the clock. But the comeback stopped when a technical foul was called on Georgia Southern.

Texas State made the free throws from that foul to go back up by eight. Alden Applewhite, who scored 18 points, fouled out trying to get the ball back. Texas State barely missed from the line all night, making 20 of their 22 free throws to win the game.

Key Players

• Georgia Southern: Khayri Dunn led the team with 20 points. Alden Applewhite had 18 points and 7 rebounds, and Spudd Webb finished with 16 points.

• Texas State: DJ Hall led his team with 16 points.

Next Up

Georgia Southern plays at home again next Thursday against Appalachian State. The game starts at 8 p.m.