Justin Roberts
Mike Holmes/Sports Communications
69
Winner Georgia St. GSU 3-3,0-0 Sun Belt
60
California Baptist CBU 3-3,0-0 WAC
Winner
Georgia St. GSU
3-3,0-0 Sun Belt
69
Final
60
California Baptist CBU
3-3,0-0 WAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Georgia St. GSU 32 37 69
California Baptist CBU 40 20 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Panthers Top California Baptist 69-60 to Win 2K Empire Classic Regional Title

RIVERSIDE, Calif.-Georgia State held California Baptist without a field goal over the final 7:32 and overcame a 14-point second half deficit to earn a 69-60 win over California Baptist in the regional championship game of the 2K Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project on Saturday night at the CBU Events Center.

Georgia State (3-3) used a 20-5 run over an eight-minute stretch late after trailing by double figures with 12:27 to play before another 7-0 run put the game away for the Panthers as the Lancers made just four free throws over the final seven and a half minute stretch..

Junior Kane Williams finished with 14 points and five assists to earn Tournament MVP honors, while redshirt-sophomore Justin Roberts scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and swiped five steals to be named to the All-Tournament Team.

California Baptist (3-3) was led by Dejon Davis who finished with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Brandon Boyd added 13 points.

After being outscored by eight in the first half, Georgia State outscored the Lancers 37-20 in the second half while holding CBU to just 28.0 percent shooting and 2-of-16 from 3-point range in the final 20 minutes.

"It was really a hard-fought win," head coach Rob Lanier said. "We really dug ourselves a big hole in the first half and we talked during halftime and even before the game, the team we played tonight had a quality that we did not have just yet - discipline. We came out and California Baptist played much more disciplined basketball in the first half, but then we became the more disciplined team in the second half and it showed."

California Baptist opened the game knocking down four 3-pointers in the first six minutes to take a 16-8 lead. The Lancers pushed the lead into double figures for the first time with just over a minute to play in the half, leading 38-28 before going into the locker room leading 40-32 after Williams knocked down a pair of free throws after being fouled at the buzzer.

Georgia State managed to shoot just 35.9 percent from the floor in the opening half while California Baptist went 7-of-15 from 3-point range before going to the locker room.

The Lancers opened the second half on a 7-0 run to lead 47-32 with 17:54 remaining.

Using a full-court defense, Georgia State responded with a 14-0 run including a 3-pointer by Williams and a couple of baskets by Jalen Thomas to retake the lead after a Justin Roberts floater, 50-49 with 12:25 to play.

The run was extended to 20-5 over an eight-minute stretch as the Panthers led 56-54 with 7:41 to play. Tied at 56, the Panthers used the 7-0 run capped by a lay-up by Thomas and made free throw to take a 63-56 lead with 6:11 left and never looked back.

Thomas finished with career-high nine points and four rebounds, while redshirt-junior Chris Clerkley set a career-high for the second night in a row with 19 minutes, scoring four points and pulling down a career-high six rebounds.

Senior Damon Wilson just missed a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, while junior Josh Linder came off the bench to score eight points and grab four rebounds.

California Baptist was held to just 36.4 percent shooting for the game and 9-of-31 from 3-point range after making five of its first 10 attempts.

Notes:
  • The Panthers improved to 2-2 and 15-14 in in-season tournaments since the start of the 2011-12 season.
  • Georgia State has won regional in-season tournaments twice in the last four years after taking the Mayan Division title of the Cancun Challenge in 2016.
  • With a 3-pointer tonight, Georgia State has made at least one 3-pointer in 754 games dating back to Feb. 18, 1995.
  • Georgia State improved to 5-0 against current members of the WAC.
  • Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Panthers have won 137 games, the most of any NCAA Division 1 program in the state of Georgia.
Georgia State will return home to face Charlotte on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the GSU Sports Arena. Tickets can be purchased by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/Tix or by calling 404-413-4020 during normal business hours.
 
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