What You Need to Know:
* Head coach Ron Hunter improved to 9-0, including 5-0 at Georgia State, when coaching barefoot for Samaritan's Feet.
* Georgia State won its 15th straight home game, improving to 33-1 at home since 2013-14.
* Jeff Thomas led all scorers with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
ATLANTA -- Jeff Thomas scored 14 points off the bench to back a strong defensive effort as Georgia State defeated UL Monroe 65-51 Thursday at the GSU Sports Arena with head coach Ron Hunter coaching in his bare feet in his annual game to support the Samaritan's Feet charity.
Hunter improved to 9-0 when coaching barefoot, including five straight wins at Georgia State.
His Panthers (11-3, 4-1 Sun Belt) won their fourth consecutive game and 15th straight at home. GSU improved to 33-1 at the Sports Arena since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Georgia State entered the night allowing just 60.6 points per game, good for ninth in the nation, and the Panther defense bettered that benchmark tonight by holding the Warhawks (6-10, 2-3 Sun Belt) to just 51 points.
The Panthers limited ULM star Majok Deng to just six points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field; Deng was averaging a Sun Belt-leading 19.9 points per game.
"Our team is really playing with a swagger defensively," Hunter said. "That was a good basketball team we beat, especially on a night when our top two scorers were a little off. This team really buys into it defensively, and it doesn't matter who scores."
Isaiah Williams and Jeremy Hollowell scored 10 points each for the Panthers, and Markus Crider contributed seven points and 10 rebounds.
The Panthers, among the nation's best at taking care of the ball, committed only five turnovers on the night, which ULM converted into just two points.
Georgia State built a 41-23 halftime lead behind strong defense and 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Thomas hit his first four treys for 12 first-half points
The Panthers led 17-12 midway through the first half when Thomas nailed three straight from beyond the arc, and then Williams followed with another one to push the GSU lead to 29-13.
For the game, GSU was 8-for-19 on 3-pointers.
"This is a special day for me," Hunter said, "because I know what it means in regards to helping so many children have shoes."
The Panthers continue their five-game homestand Saturday, hosting UL Lafayette at 2:30 p.m. at the GSU Sports Arena. The game is part of a doubleheader with the women's team, which tips at noon against ULL.
