Two-Time Defending Sun Belt Champs Open League Play with UT Arlington Thursday

ATLANTA-The two-time defending Sun Belt Conference champion Georgia State men's basketball team will open league play on Thursday night hosting UT Arlington at 7 p.m. in the GSU Sports Arena.

Georgia State (6-3, 0-0 Sun Belt) has won five-straight games and nine-straight at home dating back to last season. UT Arlington (4-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) has lost three-straight and will be looking to avenge losses to GSU in each of the last two conference tournament title games in New Orleans.

Thursday's contest can be heard live on WRAS-FM 88.5 with Dave Cohen, now in his 37^th year as the Voice of the Panthers, being joined by former Panther Lamont McIntosh calling the action. The game will also air live on ESPN+ with Sam Crenshaw and Rodney Turner on the call. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.

As conference play gets underway, Georgia State looks to continue a trend over the last six years. During that time the Panthers have finished in the top two in the Sun Belt Conference stands five times while winning 78 league games, most among the 12 member schools.

Georgia State enters play holding opponents to just 27.8 percent from 3-point range which ranks No. 30 in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference. Offensively the Panthers are shooting 41.7 percent from behind the 3-point line which stands No. 7 in the country and second in the league. GSU is also averaging 79.9 points per contest which would be among the top five best marks in school history and currently ranks No. 42 in the NCAA.

Junior Kane Williams who was named the 2K Empire Classic Tournament MVP and earned All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team honors is currently averaging 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 45.5 percent from 3-point range.

Lone senior Damon Wilson is averaging 11.4 points per contest while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 68.8 percent from 3-point range. He is also pulling down a team-high 5.0 rebounds per game after scoring a team-high 16 points last time out at Mercer.

Redshirt-sophomore Justin Roberts, who earned 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament recognition, is fourth on the team averaging 11.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He has swiped a team-high 17 steals, an average of 2.22 per game which ranks No. 41 in the country.

Redshirt-junior Corey Allen leads the Panthers in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. He leads GSU with 23 3-pointers while averaging 31.4 minutes per game, second-most on the team.

Notes:

Georgia State's five-game winning streak is tied for the 11^th longest in the country.
In the initial NET Rankings which debuted on Monday the Panthers are ranked No. 119 in the country, the highest among all Sun Belt Conference schools.
Georgia State has won four-straight meetings with UT Arlington including a regular season sweep last season.
With a 3-pointer last time out, Georgia State has made at least one 3-pointer in 757 games dating back to Feb. 18, 1995.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Panthers have won 140 games, the most of any NCAA Division 1 program in the state of Georgia.

Following Thursday's game, Georgia State will remain home hosting Texas State on Saturday at 1 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.

Quick Notes:
•   Georgia State at UT Arlington will open Sun Belt Conference play the exact way last season ended as the two teams concluded the year facing off for a second-straight time in the conference tournament final.
•   The Panthers have won four-straight meetings with the Mavericks (including those two conference tournament finals) and are now 9-4 against UTA since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14.
•   Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular season conference standings five times in six seasons.
•   The first NET rankings came out on Monday with GSU ranking No. 119 in the nation, tops among all Sun Belt schools.
•   Last time out GSU extended its winning streak to five-straight games with a 73-61 win over in-state foe Mercer. The five-game streak is tied for the 11th-longest in the country.
•   In the win over Mercer, senior Damon Wilson scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while redshirt-junior Corey Allen also scored 16 points while knocking down three 3-pointers. Allen has made 11 3-pointers in the last two games combined.
•   The Panthers have won nine-straight home games dating back to last season. The streak is currently the fifth-longest in program history and tied for the 26th-longest in the nation.
•   Georgia State is currently ranked No. 30 in the country and No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference allowing opponents to shoot just 27.8 percent from 3-point range.
•   Conversely, the Panthers are shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range which ranks No. 7 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the league.
•   Georgia State is currently scoring 79.9 points per game which would be among the top five best scoring seasons in program history. The average is currently ranked No. 42 in the country.
•   Junior Kane Williams, who was named Tournament MVP of the 2K Empire Classic and to the All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team is averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.
•   Justin Roberts was named to the 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament Team and is currently averaging 2.22 steals per game, No. 41 in the country. He already has two games this season where he recorded five swipes.
•   With the opening night win, Rob Lanier became the first GSU head coach to win their debut since the 1981-82 season when Jim Jarrett won his debut. Lanier previously served as the Associate Head Coach at Tennessee.
•   Last year, Georgia State made its second-straight and third NCAA Tournament in the last five years, the best stretch in program history.
•   During that same time frame, GSU has won more games (140) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.
•   Kane Williams is one of just nine active juniors in the country to have won conference tournaments in each of their first two years and appeared in NCAA Tournament games.

Print Friendly Version