MONROE, La. (Interstat) — The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks used a dominant performance in the paint and a stifling defensive effort to pull away from the Georgia State Panthers for an 81-62 victory in a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The Warhawks, who improved to 10-12 overall, established control early and never trailed, leading by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter. The Panthers fell to 9-15.

The most critical phase of the game came in the opening quarter, where Louisiana-Monroe set a physical and efficient tone that Georgia State could never overcome. The Warhawks opened the game on a 12-2 run, fueled by interior scoring and second-chance opportunities. Georgia State’s Crystal Henderson hit a stepback jumper for the game’s first points, but Louisiana-Monroe responded with 12 unanswered. J’Mani Ingram scored six quick points during the surge, and the Warhawks’ defense forced three early Panther turnovers while contesting every shot.

Georgia State struggled to find any offensive rhythm against the Warhawks’ size and activity. Louisiana-Monroe outrebounded the Panthers 18-7 on the offensive glass, leading to a commanding 38-16 advantage in points in the paint. The Warhawks shot 46.2% from the field, while Georgia State managed just 32.8%.

Jazmine Jackson led Louisiana-Monroe with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. Marcavia Shavers posted a complete line of 13 points, four assists and two blocks while anchoring the defense and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. J’Mani Ingram added 18 points and three assists.

For Georgia State, Crystal Henderson scored a game-high 22 points and dished out four assists. Cheyenne Holloman contributed 17 points and three assists. The Panthers’ offense, however, was inconsistent, scoring only eight points in the final quarter after a 25-point third period had briefly cut the deficit to 12.

The Warhawks’ offensive rating of 109.5 on 74 possessions starkly outpaced the Panthers’ 80.9 rating on 77 trips, underscoring the efficiency gap. Louisiana-Monroe also capitalized on its trips to the free throw line, making 14 of 21 attempts compared to Georgia State’s 9-of-14 performance.

Attendance was 1,048.

Georgia State next plays at Marshall on Feb. 12. Louisiana-Monroe travels to face Southern Mississippi on the same date.