STATESBORO, Ga. - Middle Tennessee improved to 4-3 on the season with a 66-54 win over Georgia Southern (2-4) Saturday at Hanner Fieldhouse. A tale of two halves may be cliche, but seems appropriate for the game, as Georgia Southern dominated most of the second half. The Eagles trimmed the Lady Raider lead to 10 for the first of two times in the second half to start the half as the Lady Raiders struggled to score. Middle Tennessee kept the game in double figures, however, never letting the lead fall bellow that mark.
With the Lady Raider lead down to 10 for the second time, with 10:30 to play, sophomore Krystle Horton hit a bucket to push the Middle Tennessee lead back to 12, and Georgia Southern never got closer.
Middle Tennessee shot 53.3 percent from the field the first half, and held Georgia Southern to just two field goals in the first 10 minutes. The Lady Raiders built a 21- point lead at the 8:15 minute mark, thanks to a three-point bucket by senior Ciara Gray. It was Gray's first points since rejoining the team this week and first since February 7, 2004 when she suffered her season-ending injury against Florida International.
Georgia Southern trimmed the Middle Tennessee lead to 15 as the Lady Raiders went four minutes with out scoring a bucket. Junior Tia Stovall pushed the lead back to 17 with a lay-up with 2:02 to play.
After a missed bucket by Georgia Southern, with 37 seconds left on the clock, senior Patrice Holmes held the ball in the backcourt getting her instructions from Smith, and popped her fourth three-pointer of the game with eight seconds remaining. Georgia Southern had the last word before the half, when Lee Dubose knocked down a field goal as the buzzer sounded.
Middle Tennessee ended the contest shooting 43.4 percent from the field after only mustering 30.4 percent in the second half. The Lady Raiders also committed 14 turnovers to Georgia Southern's 23.
Holmes led all scorers with 20 points in the contest and hit four three-pointers for the third time in four games. Horton pumped in 13 points and Chrissy Givens added 12.
Middle Tennessee completes its six-game road swing when the Lady Raiders travel to Cookeville, Tenn. to face Tennessee Tech on Thursday December 9. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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