Just one more road game before Georgia Southern finally comes home, but it’s a big one.
    The Eagles have played nine of their first 11 games on the road, and face Southern Conference rival College of Charleston today at 2 p.m. in Charleston, S.C., before finally returning home.
    The Lady Cougars (6-5, 2-0) have gotten off to a fast start in the league, while the Eagles (1-10, 0-2) are just road weary.
    “The schedule we inherited had us on the road a whole lot,” said first-year GSU coach Chris Vozab. “I think our kids have handled it well in terms of our preparation, and I think it’s gotten us ready for conference. We wish we had better results for sure, but I think we really improved how we play on the road, how we handle different situations, and I’m confident it’s going to be invaluable to our experience in the long run.”
    The closest GSU came to a win during its six-game road trip was at George Mason, where MiMi DuBose dropped 22 points and GMU’s Kyana Jacobs scored late to send the Eagles away with a 54-53 loss.
    “I think we saw the level of play that we can bring for 40 minutes,” Vozab said about the loss. “I think we competed hard for 40 minutes. I thought that we competed smart for 37 or 38 minutes.”
    The Eagles dealt with a handful of injuries, and lost forward Brittney Benzio for the season, but everybody else will finally be healthy today against Charleston.
    DuBose (13.5 points per game) and Anna Claire Knight (9.4) are the only two players to have started each game for GSU and only three other players — junior guard Jordi Cook and freshmen Sierra Kirkland and Kiki Rawls — have played in all 11 games. Even though it’s another road game, the Eagles view the return to SoCon play as a fresh start.
    “We’re just excited to be back in conference,” Vozab said. “We’re taking it one game at a time in conference. With the schedule that we’ve had, we’ve already played five teams that made it to the (NCAA) tournament last year. To be tested in that way, to be tested with a lot of road games, we’ve been able to improve on some of the things that were exposed. We wish the results were better, but we’re excited to take what we’ve learned into conference.”
    For Vozab, it’s a matter of finishing.
    “Our kids understand that while the outcomes have been frustrating, there’s clearly a difference where, early in the season, we were able to compete for maybe half the game as opposed to being one or two possessions away and having leads in the second half,” she said. “Now we need to learn how to close out a game and play with a lead. Learning how to win is a process, and I think we’re excited about the progress we’re making.”

    Matt Yogus may be reached at (912) 489-9408.