STATESBORO, Ga. – Kylar Rae Johnson scored a team-high 17 points to lead three Savannah State players in double figures as the Lady Tigers fell 107–61 to Georgia Southern in a season-opening exhibition Monday evening at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.
Johnson finished 6-of-11 from the field, including three three-pointers, while adding five rebounds and two steals.
Alayah Birch contributed 11 points and three rebounds, while
Paris Floyd recorded 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Jayden Boykin added nine points, three rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Madison Tinker and
Kierra Jackson chipped in five points apiece, with Tinker also collecting three assists and two steals.
Savannah State opened with three-pointers from Birch and Boykin before a pair of Floyd free throws gave the Lady Tigers an 8–2 advantage with 8:50 remaining in the first quarter. Georgia Southern answered with 17 consecutive points and took a 35–12 lead into the second period.
The Eagles connected on seven of their 10 three-point attempts in the opening quarter and extended their advantage to 58–26 at halftime.
Savannah State delivered its strongest offensive quarter after the break, outscoring Georgia Southern 22–19 in the third period. The Lady Tigers entered the fourth trailing 77–48 before the Eagles closed the contest with a 30-point final quarter.
SSU shot 34.6 percent from the field, finishing 18-of-52, and connected on eight of 21 attempts from three-point range for 38.1 percent. The Lady Tigers also converted 17 of 21 free throws, an 81.0 percent showing, and received 39 points from their bench.
Defensively, Savannah State recorded 14 steals and forced 23 turnovers. Georgia Southern countered with a 57–32 rebounding advantage and scored 46 points off 38 SSU turnovers.
Kyla Bryant led the Eagles with 26 points, while Kyra Perkins and Kayla Cleaveland added 20 apiece. Unique Horton collected
a game-high 13 rebounds.
The exhibition does not count toward Savannah State's regular-season record.
Savannah State will officially open its 2026–27 season Thursday, November 19, hosting LeMoyne-Owen at Tiger Arena.
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