ATLANTA – R.J. Hunter scored 25 points and Manny Atkins added 22 as Georgia State cruised to its ninth straight victory with a 99-73 victory over UALR in head coach Ron Hunter's annual “Barefoot for Bare Feet” game Saturday afternoon at the GSU Sports Arena.
With the dominating victory, the Panthers improved to 12-6 overall and remained the only unbeaten team in Sun Belt Conference play at 5-0. Georgia State now has a two-game lead on the rest of the conference just five games into league play.
All five GSU starters scored in double figures as the Panthers matched their season-high scoring output and their high in three seasons under Hunter, who annually coaches a game in his bare feet in support of Samaritan's Feet, an organization that provides shoes to underprivileged children around the world.
The Panthers nailed 15 3-pointers in the game, including a 6-for-10 effort by Hunter and a 4-for-9 performance from Atkins. Hunter also sent 3-for-3 at the free throw line to extend his string of consecutive free throws to 30 in a row, already a school-record.
Curtis Washington had 13 points and a game-high six rebounds, Ryan Harrow scored 12 points and handed out seven assists, and Devonta White added 11 points and seven assists.
“The team came out as focused and determined as I have ever seen them and I really appreciate it,” Ron Hunter said. “The upperclassmen on this team know that the one game a year I coach barefoot means a lot to me and they really picked me up today.
“Our starters played extremely well and I thought our bench did well considering it was probably the most minutes that they have played this year. It was a great team win on a great day for our program and Samaritan's Feet.”
Georgia State's nine-game winning streak is the second-longest in school history and longest since a school-record 11-game skein in 2011-12, Hunter's first season at the helm. The Panthers' improved to 7-0 at home, equaling the third-longest home winning streak in GSU annals.
GSU forced 20 Trojan turnovers, including 14 steals by the Panthers, five of them by Atkins.
The Panthers built a 59-29 lead at the half, their highest scoring half since scoring 65 vs. Norfolk State on Feb. 2, 1998. GSU shot 69-percent from the field before the intermission, including 9-for-18 from 3-point range. Atkins led the way with 15 points in the first half. The Panthers made 13 of 14 shots inside the arc in the first period.
Georgia State jumped on the Trojans from the opening tip, scoring the game's first 11 points before UALR got on the board.
James White led UALR with 23 points, and Will Neighbour added 18.
Georgia State will return to the road next week for a pair of games in Louisiana. The Panthers will face UL Lafayette on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET and then UL Monroe on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET.
