CORAL GABLES, Fla. ? Georgia State senior guard Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen, a native of St. Petersburg, Fla., returned to her home state and did not disappoint her fans or her teammates, helping to lead a spirited second half comeback for the Panthers who fell to host Miami, 68-60, on Friday evening in the season opener for both teams at the BankUnited Center.
Roegiers-Jensen scored 17 second half points, including four key 3-pointers, and finished with a game-high 20 as Georgia State (0-1) rallied from a 22-point second-half deficit with less than 12 minutes on the clock after going on a 24-8 run. Leading by four, 62-58, with 1:10 remaining, Hurricanes' (1-0) senior guard Renee Taylor, who led Miami with 18, scored Miami's final six points, including a fall-away 2-point basket with 48 seconds remaining to put Miami ahead by six and sealed the win with four free throws in the final 40 seconds. Although missing a few shots in the final minute, it was a gutsy performance from a young team against an experienced opponent on its home court.
“I am very proud of the effort we had tonight,” expressed head coach Lea Henry. “We played well the entire game, but missed some shots in the first half. We were down by 14 at halftime, but our defensive intensity and shot selection picked up in the second half and that really helped bring us back in this game. Our freshmen played well tonight against a very good Miami team.”
Georgia State freshman forward Danyiell McKeller (Fayetteville, N.C.) totaled 17 points and four rebounds and freshman forward RaShay Rawls (Augusta, Ga.) added four points and eight rebounds in their collegiate debuts. Sophomore forward Marcquitta Head (Conley, Ga.) added eight points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Panthers. Roegiers-Jensen also collected five boards and six assists.
Taylor paced four Miami players in double figures as forward Brittany Denson posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Guards Maurita Reid and Albrey Grimsley added 11 and 15, respectively.
State never led in the contest and trailed 39-25 at halftime before mounting its comeback. Down by six, 20-14, with 8:32 remaining in the period, Miami pulled ahead following a 3-pointer from Reid en route to its 14-point halftime advantage. McKeller showed baseline skills beyond her years in the frontcourt, using her quickness to slip past defenders as she posted 12 first half points for Georgia State.
“Danyiell [McKeller] played a phenomenal game,” Henry continued. “She made great moves under the basket in the first half which surprised several of the Miami players, and scored from outside in the second half after Miami made its second half adjustments. Danyiell and Shay [Rawls] are really going to surprise a lot of people this year.”
The Panthers locked down on the Hurricanes defensively in the second period, limiting them to 27 percent field goal shooting in helping to trim the deficit. Miami was held to three field goals over the final 12 minutes, but made enough free throws when it mattered to win.
For the game, State shot 37 percent from the field and 82 percent (9-for-11) from the free throw line. Miami was 39 percent from the floor and out rebounded Georgia State, 45-41.
Georgia State continues its season-opening road swing at Georgia Tech Thursday at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Panthers' men's team.
Box Score
Georgia State (0-1) ? 25-35=60
Miami (1-0) ? 39-29=68
