ATLANTA?Freshman Crystal Johnson scored 21 points, all in the second half, and senior Brittany Hollins added 15 points and seven steals to lead Georgia State to its first-ever victory over Old Dominion, 75-62, Thursday at the Georgia State Sports Arena, giving the Panthers' their biggest win since joining the Colonial Athletic Association and one of the biggest victories in school history.
“We understood what was at stake and took advantage of our opportunity tonight “ said Georgia State head coach Lea Henry after earning the historic win over one of the winningest programs in NCAA basketball women's history. ODU has won 17 consecutive conference titles and entered the game with an all-time record of 317-18 in CAA play. “We played with toughness and we took care of the basketball tonight. Our defense created opportunities and we played hard for 40 minutes. Crystal Johnson's penetration and points were crucial and Brittany Hollins certainly played well on both ends tonight.”
The game was tied nine times, with the last coming at 58-58 with 5:46 left. A Hollins assist to Stacie Young gave State the lead they would never lose. Three steals sparked a run of 9-1 that put State up 69-59 with 2:40 left after a pair of baskets by Hollins.
State (11-8, 3-5 CAA) finished the game with a 21-5 run over the final seven minutes as they trailed 57-54 and then finished with the strong run on both ends of the court.
Defense was the story as the Panthers grabbed 17 steals and forced 28 ODU turnovers, which they converted into 36 points. The Panthers ranked No. 8 in the nation in steals (12.7) coming in as that aggressive style is their strength. The Panthers made just 10 turnovers for a +18 and allowed just five steals for a +12 in that category. State also had 20 offensive rebounds tonight.
Johnson, a freshman point guard from Gainesville, Fla., connected on 7-for-10 from the field and also contributed four assists, four rebounds and three steals. Hollins, a senior from Columbia, S.C., grabbed six rebounds and handed four assists to go along with her 15 points and seven steals. Four of State's five starters reached double figures as Jylisa Williams added 12 points, four assists and three steals, and Chandra Harris chipped in 11 points. The Panthers played a fifth straight game without leading scorer and rebounder Danyiell McKeller.
ODU (11-7, 6-2) also had four starters in double figures, led by Tiffany Green with 22 points and nine rebounds. Jessica Canady scored 12 points, Jasmine Parker 11 and Jen Nuzzo 10. Starting point guard Jazzmin Walters was out with a leg injury. ODU shot 60 percent in the first half and 51.2 percent for the game.
Georgia State improved to 9-1 at home and 7-0 when scoring 70 or more points this season.
The busy Panthers will play their fourth game in seven days when they travel on to Williamsburg, Va. for a Super Bowl Sunday afternoon game with CAA rival William and Mary.
NOTEBOOK: Crystal Johnson's 21 points made her the sixth Panther to go 20 or more points in a game this season and make them the only school in the CAA to have six players do so...Johnson has made 23 of her last 28 free throws over five games (82%)...This was Hollins 67th career double-figure game as she slid on up to 13th place in school history (1,136 points)...Jylisa Williams hit double-figures for an 8th straight game and 14th time in the last 16 games...Chandra Harris had her third double-figure game in playing the last five in place of the injured McKeller...
