ATLANTA--Georgia State fell to Bethune-Cookman, 60-56, Saturday at the Georgia State Sports Arena. Jimmy Hudson scored 22 points to lead Bethune-Cookman, which went 19-for-23 from the free throw line to hold off the Panthers' late rally.

The Panthers (3-8), led by Leonard Mendez and Rashad Chase with 12 points each, rallied after falling behind by 12 points with three minutes left but came up just short as Hudson sealed the win for Bethune-Cookman (6-7) with a pair of free throws with five seconds left.

“Bethune-Cookman did a really good job and set the tone for the game,” said Georgia State head coach Rod Barnes. “We had a lot of missed opportunities, we missed free throws, and we just didn't play well. I don't want to take anything away from Bethune-Cookman because they're a good team, but we did not play as well as we're capable, and it's very disappointing.”

Bethune-Cookman led virtually the entire game and built a 12-point advantage at 55-43 with 3:33 to play before Mendez scored six straight points for the Panthers and then freshman D.J. Jones completed a three-point play and then made a layup that brought State within 56-54 with 49 seconds left.

The Panthers had a chance to tie after a steal by Justin Billingslea but Mendez turned the ball over in traffic and Bethune-Cookman's John Holmes, who went 10-for-10 from the line, sank a pair of free throws for a four-point lead.

State again cut the deficit to two points as Chase hit two foul shots with 6.5 seconds left before Hudson sealed the win at the line.

In addition to its strong performance from the free throw line, Bethune-Cookman shot 51 percent from the field. Georgia State managed to hit only 38 percent of its field goals and went just 14-for-26 from the line.

Georgia State resumes Colonial Athletic Association play by hosting George Mason Wednesday in a 3 p.m. game at the Sports Arena.

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