WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
* GSU earned a 73-62 Sun Belt win over Texas State Thursday in the Sports Arena.
* The Panthers had four players return to the line-up, including three starters,to add much-needed depth after weeks of being short-handed.
* GSU held a 53-32 rebounding advantage and held Texas State to 2-of-18 shooting in the fourth quarter.
ATLANTA – Finally with a full roster for the first time in weeks, Georgia State utilized that depth to run to a 73-62 win over Texas State in Sun Belt Conference women's basketball.
Adding three starters among the four total players able to return to action, Georgia State had 10 players score as the Panthers overcame a five-point halftime deficit to outscore Texas State 44-28 in the second half. Much of that depth was on the defensive end, mostly switching from zone to man with fresh people.
The game was tied for the seventh and final time at 58 with 7:49 to play when GSU had the depth to go on a 13-2 run and make it 71-60 with only two minutes to play.
GSU's depth helped them produce a 53-32 rebound advantage and up the defensive tempo in the fourth quarter to hold Texas State to 2-of-18 shooting. The Panthers played 12 players, with 10 of them scoring.
Georgia State (9-11, 4-7) was led by freshman point guard Madison Newby with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Leading scorer Makeba Ponder, who had missed six of the last 10 games and four straight, came back with 12 points and six rebounds. Forward Haley Gerrin provided post support with nine rebounds and eight points in 21 minutes, while forward Alaysia Mitchell also had nine points and six boards. After missing 11 games, starter Tatianna Jackson came off the bench to add seven points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.
Texas State (10-10, 5-5) is the league's top 3-point shooting team and the Bobcats made 9 this evening, but were 0-for-6 outside the arc in the crucial fourth quarter. Raven Burns led Texas State with 18 points with 5-of-8 3-point shooting.
Georgia State's inside control included 34 points scored in the paint and 20 second-chance points.The Panthers had 20 offensive rebounds.
“We did a better job of boxing out and closing out the defensive possession tonight,” coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. “Switching from the zone to the man kept a little more pressure on them, too. It was so good to look down and see we had multiple players to sub in when we needed them. We had a lot of players contribute tonight. This was just the start of the final 10 games in the Sun Belt and to build some confidence and momentum will be important.”
Host GSU burst out to a 9-0 lead in the game's first five minutes and built that lad to 12 points at 17-5 with 2:45 to go in the opening period. But, Texas State closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to close to 17-12. In the second quarter, the game was tied twice, the last at 23 with 4:01 when Texas State closed with a 11-6 run to take a 34-29 halftime lead.
GSU plays Saturday afternoon against UT Arlington at noon in the annual Alumni Letterman's Day.
