Orem, Utah- Devonta White scored 17 points, and Jihad Ali added 16 points, nine rebounds and a game-clinching steal to give Georgia State its eighth straight victory, 71-68 at Utah Valley Saturday night at the UCCU Center. The Panthers' eighth consecutive win ties the GSU record, originally set by Charles "Lefty" Driesell's 2000-01 NCAA Tournament team.
Georgia State (8-3) was clinging to a three-point lead with less than 10 seconds to play when Ali came up with a loose ball to seal the victory. The Panthers will attempt to break the record when they host Georgia Southern Thursday at 7 p.m. at the GSU Sports Arena.
Ali was just shy of a double-double, pulling down nine rebounds on 6-12 shooting, with a pair of three-pointers. He added three steals, three blocks and two assists.
Georgia State improved to 3-1 on the road and is off to its best start since beginning the 2000-01 season 11-1, which ended with the Panthers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Utah Valley (6-6) lost for the first time at home this season after winning six straight to begin the season.
"This has got to be the gutsiest win we have had since I got to Georgia State," commented head coach Ron Hunter. "The team really responded well to some adverse conditions. It is a tough trip to come this far across the country and then you have to consider the altitude. It was just a great win for a team continuing to learn how to win."
After struggling from the free throw line for the first 35 minutes of the game, the Panthers hit 8-of-12 down the stretch which secured the victory.
"I am proud of the win streak for the team," continued Hunter. "For guys like Jihad Ali and James Fields to be a part of this after what they have been through, it makes it extremely special for me to see.
"We have a long way to go, but we are gaining confidence and really learning how to win."
Micheaux scored 12 points and added eight rebounds, hitting 4-of-7 from the floor with three steals and two assists.
Senior Eric Buckner finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, hitting 3-of-4 from the field.
Utah Valley's Isiah Williams led the Wolverines to an early 9-2 lead, hitting a trio of three-pointers, but State held him in-check the rest of the game. Williams finished with 12 points, but hit just 4-of-15 from the floor and missed eight straight three-pointers after making his first three.
Trailing 35-26, Georgia State finished the first half on a 10-0 run, holding the Wolverines scoreless over the final 3:21.
Buckner started the run with a made free throw. Tony Kimbro Jr., who scored seven in the first half added a basket, followed by a three-pointer and lay-up by Ali to cut the deficit to one. Micheaux drove the lane and made the basket while being fouled with 4.4 seconds left to give the Panthers their only lead of the half, 36-35.
The Panthers pushed the run to 17-2 four minutes into the second half to take a 43-37 lead and never again trailed.
Ali's three-pointer from the corner with 6:03 to play pushed the Panthers lead to 61-53.
Geddes Robinson added 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Wolverines, while Holton Hunsaker scored 14 points, including a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
Fields added seven points and four boards for State, as Kimbro finished with nine.
The Panthers outscored the Wolverines 34-16 in the paint and finished with 12 steals, compared to just four for the hosts.
Tonight's game will be replayed on Fox College Sports Pacific on Dec. 20 at 9 p.m.
Both season and individual game tickets for the 2011-12 season continue to be on sale. A variety of packages can be found by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com or by calling 1-866-GA-STATE.
www.GeorgiaStateSports.com
