Panthers and Bears Meet for 83rd Time Saturday

ATLANTA-Looking to push its winning streak to five-straight games, Georgia State will make the short drive down I-75 to face Mercer on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. It will mark the 83^rd time the two programs have met, the most the Panthers have ever played against another opponent.

Georgia State (5-3) has won four-straight games after earning an 83-80 overtime victory over Dartmouth on Tuesday. Although Mercer (4-5) leads the all-time series 45-37, the Panthers have won 17 of the last 20 meetings with the Bears.

Saturday's contest can be heard live on GeorgiaStateSports.com 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 Frank Malloy and Tim Scarborough on the call. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.

This will be a "home" game for several Panthers who hail from the Macon area. Redshirt-junior Chris Clerkley is from nearby Perry, Ga. (Perry HS), junior Josh Linder hails from Kathleen, Ga. (Veterans HS), and sophomore Nelson Phillips is from Warner Robins, Ga. (Warner Robins HS).

Georgia State enters play holding opponents to just 27.2 percent from 3-point range which ranks No. 27 in the country and first in the Sun Belt Conference. Offensively the Panthers are shooting 40.7 percent from behind the 3-point line which stands No. 16 in the country and first in the league. GSU is also averaging 80.8 points per contest which would be among the top five best marks in school history and currently ranks No. 35 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 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

Redshirt-sophomore Justin Roberts, who earned 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament recognition is third on the team averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He has swiped a team-high 17 steals, an average of 2.13 per game which ranks No. 66 in the country.

Redshirt-junior Corey Allen is coming off a season-high 28 points against Dartmouth where he knocked down eight 3-pointers, tied for the seventh-most in a single game in program history. He currently leads the Panthers in scoring averaging 17.3 points per game.

Lone senior Damon Wilson is averaging 10.9 points per contest while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 9-of-13 from 3-point range. He is also pulling down a team-high 5.0 rebounds per game.

Notes:

Georgia State's four game winning streak is tied for the 27^th longest in the country.
Freshman Jalen Thomas earned his first career start against Dartmouth on Tuesday. He finished with seven points and six rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
With a 3-pointer last Saturday, Georgia State has made at least one 3-pointer in 756 games dating back to Feb. 18, 1995.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Panthers have won 139 games, the most of any NCAA Division 1 program in the state of Georgia. Mercer has the third-most wins in the state since that time with 114, trailing Georgia by just one win.

Following Saturday's game, Georgia State will take 12 days off for final exams before returning to the court on Dec. 19, to face UT Arlington in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both schools at 7 p.m. The Panthers and Mavericks have met for each of the last two Sun Belt Conference tournament titles with GSU coming out on top in each.

Quick Notes:
•   Georgia State and Mercer will meet for the 83rd time on Saturday. The 83 games are the most the Panthers have played against another opponent.
•   Although Mercer leads the all-time series 45-37, Georgia State has won 17 of the last 20 games including a 62-60 thriller in the GSU Sports Arena last season.
•   Last time out GSU extended its winning streak to four-straight games with an 83-80 overtime win over Dartmouth on Tuesday. The four-game streak is tied for the 27th-longest in the country.
•   In the win over Dartmouth, redshirt-junior Corey Allen scored 28 points and knocked down eight 3-pointers, tied for the seventh-most in a single game in program history.
•   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 20th-longest in the nation.
•   Georgia State is currently ranked No. 27 in the country and No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference allowing opponents to shoot just 27.2 percent from 3-point range.
•   Conversely, the Panthers are shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range which ranks No. 16 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the league.
•   Georgia State is currently scoring 80.8 points per game which would be among the top five best scoring seasons in program history. The average is currently ranked No. 35 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 14.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.
•   Justin Roberts was named to the 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament Team and is currently averaging 2.16 steals per game which ranks No. 66 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.
•   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.
•   During that same time frame, GSU has won more games (139) 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.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Chris Clerkley: F; 6' 8"; Senior

#20 Josh Linder: F; 6' 8"; Junior

#10 Nelson Phillips: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#2 Justin Roberts: G; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#25 Jalen Thomas: F; 6' 10"; Freshman

#12 Kane Williams: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#1 Damon Wilson: G; 6' 5"; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#14 Chris Clerkley
: 6' 8"; Senior
: F

#20 Josh Linder
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F

#10 Nelson Phillips
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Justin Roberts
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#25 Jalen Thomas
: 6' 10"; Freshman
: F

#12 Kane Williams
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#1 Damon Wilson
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Senior
: G