ATLANTA (Interstat) — In a game defined by a decisive third-quarter surge, the Georgia Southern Eagles used a barrage of three-pointers to pull away from the Georgia State Panthers and secure a 66-55 victory in a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at GSU Sports Arena.

The visiting Eagles, who led by just a single point at halftime, outscored the Panthers 26-16 in the pivotal third period to turn a tight contest into a comfortable lead they would not relinquish. The win improved Georgia Southern’s record to 13-4 overall, while Georgia State fell to 7-11.

The game’s most critical stretch began with Georgia Southern clinging to a 31-30 lead midway through the third quarter. Over the next four minutes, the Eagles unleashed a 14-3 run that effectively decided the contest. The surge was fueled by the long-range shooting of McKenna Eddings and Kyla Bryant, along with disruptive defense that forced several Georgia State turnovers. Eddings, a 6-foot guard from Williamsburg, Virginia, connected on two of her five three-pointers during this span, while Bryant, a 5-7 guard from Salisbury, North Carolina, added another. The run stretched the Eagles’ advantage to 45-33, and the Panthers never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Georgia Southern’s offensive efficiency in the third quarter contrasted sharply with a sloppy first half from both teams. The opening 20 minutes featured 29 combined turnovers and ragged offense, with Georgia State leading 9-7 after one quarter before Georgia Southern took a 31-30 edge into the break. The Eagles cleaned up their play after halftime, committing only five turnovers in the second half while capitalizing on their opportunities from beyond the arc. For the game, Georgia Southern shot 13 for 29 from three-point range, a 44.8% clip that proved to be the primary difference. Georgia State managed just 5 for 11 from deep.

Eddings led all scorers with 17 points, adding two assists in 39 minutes of action. Destiny Garrett, the Eagles’ 5-4 point guard from Bessemer, Alabama, orchestrated the offense with a game-high seven assists to go with 10 points, five steals and a blocked shot in 40 minutes. Bryant finished with 12 points, all coming on three-pointers, and Kayla Cleaveland added another 12 points for Georgia Southern.

Georgia State was led by Crystal Henderson’s 17 points. The 5-5 guard from Marietta also contributed two assists. Ari Dyson, a 5-11 forward from McDonough, provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, and Cheyenne Holloman added 12 points for the Panthers.

Despite the loss, Georgia State won the rebounding battle 32-28 and shot a slightly better percentage from the field overall, making 21 of 49 attempts compared to Georgia Southern’s 22 of 52. However, the Panthers’ 17 turnovers, which led to 16 points for the Eagles, and their inability to match the visitors’ three-point production were decisive factors. Georgia Southern also converted Georgia State’s miscues into a 16-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

The game was a rematch of a Dec. 18 meeting in Statesboro, which Georgia Southern won 68-47. With this victory, the Eagles have now won four straight games and eight of their last nine. Georgia State, which had won two of its previous three, sees its modest momentum halted.

The announced attendance at GSU Sports Arena was 982.

Georgia Southern will look to continue its strong conference start when it travels to face James Madison on Saturday. Georgia State will remain at home to host Appalachian State, also on Saturday.