Georgia State picked a fine time to end its six-game losing streak.
The win – the Panthers’ first since Jan. 24 – came at the expense of in-state rival Georgia Southern. The 66-64 victory not only earned Georgia State a split of the season series, it also rewarded the season-high 3,479 fans who showed up and cheered with gusto for 40 minutes.
“Man, our students really showed up,” Georgia State coach Jonas Hayes said. “I hope they enjoyed their pizzas, but they didn’t eat a lot because they were standing up and hooting and hollering the whole game.”
There was the guy in a banana suit, a few frat boys in the requisite big overalls and more than one fan carrying their “State Not Southern” poster. They made a lot of noise, during Georgia State runs and defensive stands, which the players definitely noticed.
“This was definitely a game we had circled on our schedule,” guard Malachi Brown said. “It’s a must-win game always when State plays Southern.”
Things started out well for the Panthers. Georgia State led the entire first half, although the margin was close until the Panthers strung together a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead. Georgia State effectively defended Southern’s 3-point shooters, limiting the Eagles to 4-for-21 from the perimeter in the first half, and led 35-25 at the break.
But Georgia Southern used 10-0 run of its own and took its first lead when Alden Applewhite drained a 3-pointer at 9:53 for a 52-49 lead. A slugfest ensued from there, with five lead changes and two ties before Micah Tucker made one of two free throws to put Georgia State ahead 60-59 and Brown extended the lead to three with a pull-up jumper in the lane.
The Panthers nailed it down in the final seconds at the line, with Brown and Tucker each making a pair of free throws.
“It’s just knowing that my teammates and my coaches have my back and they just tell me to play with confidence,” Brown said. “I’m at home, so I always play with more confidence and with all the students behind me, so it’s a big shoutout to the students.”
Georgia State improved to 10-18 overall and 7-8 in the Sun Belt. Brown led all scorers with 19 points and Tucker added 15 points. Jelani Hamilton scored 13 and had 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Georgia Southern (15-13, 7-8) got 14 points from Tyren Moore, who kept the Eagles in the game with four timely 3-pointers. Applewhite, who scored 19 in the first meeting with Georgia State, scored 11. Khayri Dunn and Nakavieon White each scored 10.
“This is not a game you have to worry about getting your guys excited for,” Hayes said. “We knew it was going to be a great atmosphere but for our guys to meet the challenge. We kept our poise and our guys came home with the win. And our sixth man, they showed up and showed out.”
With three games left, all of them at home, the Panthers could quickly climb up the Sun Belt Conference standings. Georgia State and Georgia Southern are tied for eighth, but only two games out of the three-way tie for first.
“We’re just taking it day by day and always just keeping the process in mind,” Hamilton said. “Whoever we’ve got, we’ve got to get ready and prepare to go win.”
Hayes said he doesn’t even know who the Panthers play on Saturday – it’s James Madison, also 7-8 in the conference – but understands the possibilities.
“You can’t have a run if you don’t win two in a row,” Hayes said. “So we’ve got to refocus ourselves, get ourselves ready to go on Saturday. I’ll dig into our next opponent after tonight.”
NEXT
James Madison Dukes (15-13, 7-8 Sun Belt) at Georgia State Panthers (10-18, 7-8 Sun Belt)
Atlanta; today, 4 p.m.
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