The Georgia Southern Lady Eagles dug themselves an early hole, and were never really able to dig their way out, as they dropped their Sun Belt opener Thursday night at Hanner Fieldhouse to Texas State 64-52.

The Bobcats opened the game on a 10-run. Jayle Johnson's jumper with 6:15 to go in the first made the score 10-0. The Eagles tried to fight their way back. Hailey Dias-Allen helped cut the lead to four on two different occassions, but the Bobcats were able to come back and took a 20-12 lead at the end of the first.

In the second the Eagles went ice cold from the field, and the Bobcats pulled away. Georgia Southern shot 2-11 from the field, and were outscored 19-9 as they fell behind 39-21. 

The Eagles actually cut the lead to single digits in the third quarter. A three pointer by Jordan Strange with 3:38 left in the third cut the lead to 47-38, and the Bobcats led 49-40 at the end of the third.

Texas State would extend their lead to as many as 15 points in the fourth, but the Eagles then went on an 8-0 run  on an Alexis Brown jumper with 2:37 to go in the game. Texas State then closed things out outscoring the Eagles 9-4 the rest of the way for a final of 64-52.

"Texas State set a ton of on-ball screens, and you know [Toshua] Leavitt is tough, but we were disappointed how we handled a couple of their other kids," said Georgia Southern coach Kip Drown. "You can't let some of the secondary people beat you off the dribble like they did tonight."

Georgia Southern hit just 5-of-20 three-pointers, the sixth time this season that the Eagles have shot 25 percent or below from beyond the arc. The Eagles were led in scoring by Dias-Allen with 17 points, while Brown added 11. Texas State was led by Toshua Leavitt with 21 points.

The loss drops the Eagles to 5-7 and 0-1 in Sun Belt play. The Eagles return to action on Saturday, hosting UT Arlington in a 2 p.m. Sun Belt Conference matchup at Hanner Fieldhouse.