In her first collegiate start, freshman Makeba Ponder recorded 17 points, including two clutch free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining, in the Georgia State women's basketball team's 71-66 win over UMass (5-5) in the Holiday & Hoops Classic at the GSU Sports Arena. Ohio topped La Salle, 74-63 in the second game.

Center Brittany Logan added 16 points and 11 rebounds and Kayla Nolan finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three steals. The Panthers either held a lead, or were tied, for all but 32 seconds of Friday's game.

GSU (5-3)  finished with nine three-pointers, just two shy of the school record, but a third time this season with nine or more made. Ponder made 5 of 9 to pace that category.

Georgia State held a 43-31 rebound advantage, getting a final key stops late in the game from Haley Gerrin.

The host Panthers led by 11 points at 35-24 in the first half, but UMass closed to 35-31 with a 7-0 run to end the first half.

In the second half, GSU continued to lead but could never get the margin above five points, including 56-51at 9:21. A three-pointer by the Minutewomen's Cierra Dillard tied the game at 59 with 3:56. Logan answered for GSU at 3:25 for a 61-59 lead, then Dillard again nailed a trey at 3:00 to give the Minutemen the lead at 62-61.

The calm freshman Ponder then swished another 3-pointer to provide GSU a 64-62 lead at 2:45 and Logan scored to make it five points again at 67-62 with 1:10. But, UMass' Rashida Timbilla scored inside at 53.9 seconds. When GSU turned the ball over Timbilla followed a miss to make it 67-66 with 27.2 seconds. But, she missed a tying free throw. 

After a UMass turnover with 10.2 seconds, Ponder was fouled and hit her two free throws with 9.4 seconds. Nolan added a final pair of free throws with four seconds.

Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener was glad to win a close game after a pair of two-point losses in the 5-3 season. "I was proud of the team to hang tough and be able to win this tight game because it was a total team effort with a lot of people making a lot of key plays."

"A concern of mine was their rebounding and size, but we fought and boxed out and gained a key advantage in today's game," the coach noted in her 50th win at GSU. "The team was determined to win today and they fought to get it."

NOTEBOOK:

• GSU, who leads the Sun Belt in scoring (73.3), topped 70 for the sixth time in the eight games this season.
• Brittany Logan had a fourth consecutive double-figure rebounding game and a second straight double-double game. Logan is shooting 56.5 percent from the field for the season (35 of 62).
  
• Makeba Ponder has made 23 of 45 3-point shots this season (51.1%) after leading the state of Georgia last year with 88 made. Ponder has scored 54 points in the last 3 games (21, 16 and 17).
  
• Ashley Watson had another good game at point guard as she fills in for 1,000-points scorer senior Alicia Andrews, finishing a four-game suspension of team rules. Watson has 31 assists and just 13 turnovers (+18). Watson leads the team with 19 of 23 free throws (an 82.6 rate) as she is within a percentage point of the career free throw record.
  
• Kayla Nolan scored in double figures for the seventh time in the eight games this season and leads the team in scoring (13.9).
• The Panthers have made 52 3-point baskets (6.5 per game) at a 39.4 percent rate.
• 50-50: Georgia State shot 50 percent outside the 3-point line (9 of 18) and 50 percent from the field in the second half (12 of 24).

Saturday Schedule

4 p.m. - Massachusetts (5-5) vs. Ohio (7-2)

6 p.m. - La Salle (6-4) vs. Georgia State (5-3)