Daytona Beach, Fla.-Georgia State's late rally came up short and the Panthers fell to Drake, 65-58, in the Glenn Wilkes Classic Friday afternoon at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Joe Dukes led Georgia State (1-2) with 20 points and Trae Goldston added 16, but the Panthers could not overcome Drake's hot shooting nor their own shooting woes. Drake (1-2) connected on 59.5 percent from the field, including seven three-pointers, while GSU managed just 32.8 percent.
Still, the Panthers rallied from 15 points down late in the second half to pull within five at 61-56 with 42 seconds to play. But Drake made free throws down the stretch, going 14-for-17 in the second half, to seal the win.
"It was a tough day for us shooting the ball," said Georgia State head coach Rod Barnes. "We've got to finish better around the basket. We got the ball to the rim, but too many times we couldn't finish.
"I'm happy that we made a run, but we're a better team than we showed today. This is a three-day tournament, so we've got to come right back tomorrow and play like I think we can."
The Panthers' backcourt of Dukes and Goldston combined for 36 points, but starting post players Trey Hampton and Xavier Hansbro were limited to just three points.
Ousman Krubally grabbed 13 rebounds off the bench, one off his career best and his second double-figure effort in three games this season. He added six points, three steals and two assists. The Panthers outrebounded Drake, 39-23, and forced 19 Bulldog turnovers.
Drake benefitted from balanced scoring with four of their five starters reaching double figures, led by Ryan Wedel with 15 points.
"Drake shot the ball well, and they hit some big threes," said Barnes. "That's what they do. They're very patient on offense, and they're a very good shooting team."
Georgia State fell behind early, but pulled within three points at 26-23 on a pair of free throws by Krubally with four minutes left in the first half. But Drake hit three three-pointers in the final three minutes of the half to lead 35-27 at the intermission. The Bulldogs then scored the first five points of the second half to extend their advantage to 13 points.
Drake led 59-44 with just two minutes left in the game when the Panthers rallied, fueled by pressure defense.
Goldston hit a jumper, and then back-to-back steals by Krubally led to baskets by Goldston and Dukes as the Panthers cut the deficit to 59-50. Bill Eaddy sank a pair of free throws for Drake, but Goldston answered with jumper, off a feed from Dukes. Dukes then hit free throws on consecutive possessions to pull the Panthers within 61-56 with 42 seconds to play. But Drake made four free throws in the final 26 seconds to hold off Georgia State.
Dukes scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half, including 12 points in the final five minutes. Goldston scored six points in the last two minutes.
The Panthers now face Howard Saturday at 11 a.m. Live radio coverage is available on WRAS-FM 88.5, and live video streaming is available at (subscription required).
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