Texas State clinches tournament spot with win over Georgia Southern

Five minutes into the first half, Jamie Brown was double teamed outside the box.

The senior midfielder/defender wiggled her way through and sent a cross towards the Eagles’ goal. Junior forward Kaylee Davis got to it first and popped in a low ball that went past the goalkeeper for the first score of the game.

Texas State led the rest of the way, as the Bobcats defeated Georgia Southern, 3-0, on the road on Sunday, becoming the first team to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

After Davis’ goal, the Bobcats kept building on their offense. Freshman forward Kayla Geren found the net again two minutes later on an assist from Davis. The pair switched roles in the 20th minute, with Davis scoring again off a dish from Geren.

The Eagles tried to come back, taking nine more shots than Texas State in the second half. However, just four were on target, all of which junior goalkeeper Heather Martin snuffed out. Martin finished the game with five saves, moving past Natalie Gardini (2007-09) for third most career saves in program history. The shutout is also Martin’s fifth of the season, tying her for eighth most in a season and fourth most in a career.

The victory marks the second straight season the Bobcats have earned a spot in the tournament, winning the No. 2 seed last year. The team currently sits in first place in the conference table with 19 points.

Texas State (8-5-1, 6-0-1 Sun Belt) take on Troy (3-10-1, 2-3-0) on the road on Sunday at 1 p.m.