Georgia Southern to Visit Justice Center for First Time

The Bulldogs will be back in action Wednesday night when they host Georgia Southern at the Justice Center. UNC Asheville (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday with a convincing 94-63 victory over Southern Wesleyan. The Eagles (4-4, 2-0 Southern Conference) are off to a strong start and look to stymie the Bulldogs with their defense when the teams meet in Asheville for the first time.

The dismantling of Southern Wesleyan on Saturday was driven by a career day from Lindsey Montgomery, who finished with 29 points and 20 rebounds – both career highs. It was the first 20/20 performance by a Bulldog since the 1983-84 campaign. Linda Aughburns, Montgomery’s complement in the post, finished up with 17 points and 6 assists. Lindsey Thompson also cracked double figures with 13 points. The Bulldogs shot 55 percent from the field, including 67 percent in the second half, and out-rebounded the Warriors 47-23 to claim the easy win, despite turning the ball over 24 times.

Despite starting in only one game this season, Montgomery now leads the Bulldogs in scoring (12.1), field-goal percentage (.475), and rebounds (9.1). Thompson averages 10.0 points, and Aughburns is just shy of a double-double for the season with 9.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. Asheville’s 21.4 turnovers per game remain a concern, but the Bulldogs’ rebounding and defensive tenacity have kept them competitive.

Georgia Southern leads the Southern Conference in scoring defense, allowing only 57.2 points per game. The Eagles were picked to finish in the middle of the SoCon pack after an 11-9 finish last season, but have looked like contenders thus far. After a tough beginning to the season that included Duke and Auburn, Georgia Southern cruised to victories over conference foes Elon and Appalachian State. Guard Carolyn Whitney leads the Eagles in scoring with 11.3 PPG, and forward J’Lisia Ogburn is averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 5.9 boards. Jessica Geiger is a quality all-around producer, with 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.

Georgia Southern has defeated UNC Asheville in each of the previous two meetings between the schools, but they have never faced off at the Justice Center. Last season the Eagles came away with a 52-39 victory over the Bulldogs in Statesboro behind a 12 point performance from Geiger. Chioma Okoli led Asheville with 12 points and 7 rebounds in the game. The Bulldogs have a chance to take down Georgia Southern, but will need to protect the ball and find Montgomery and Aughburns in the post for high-percentage shots.

Go Bulldogs!