Season-High Turnovers Cost Pepperdine, 79-73

Georgia Southern forced 24 turnovers and defeated Pepperdine, 79-73, Friday night in the first round of the Alabama Birmingham Invitational.

Pepperdine got within 59-55 midway through the second half, but Georgia Southern began an 11-0 run that put them out of reach.

“We did not do a good job of taking care of the basketball, and Georgia Southern capitalized on those mistakes to score some easy baskets,” said Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury, whose team’s turnovers were a season high. “We played well the first few minutes of the second half, but then (Doug) Christie and (Geoff) Lear got into foul trouble and we were really hurting.”

Lear finished with 18 points. Christie had 13 before fouling out with 5 1/2 minutes to play.

Georgia Southern (7-1) will play host Alabama Birmingham in the championship tonight. Pepperdine (5-3) takes on Southwest Texas State in the consolation game.

Charlton Young led Georgia Southern with 19 points. The Eagles were up by as many as 11 points before settling for a 41-33 lead at halftime.

Alabama Birmingham 66, Southwest Texas State 49--Stanley Jackson scored 20 points, including four three-pointers, to lead the Blazers (9-1).

Southwest Texas (2-5) never led but stayed close early by using a zone aimed at shutting down Elbert Rogers, who scored only 12 points--10 below his average.

But Jackson and Carter Long foiled the strategy by sinking a total of seven three-pointers.