ATLANTA - Georgia State overcame an 18-point deficit to take down South Alabama 90-81 Friday night at the GSU Sports Arena. Five Panthers scored in double-digits, led by Malik Benlevi with 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Georgia State (18-8, 9-4 Sun Belt) outscored South Alabama (12-14, 5-8 Sun Belt) 51-28 in the second half, and finished the game on a 15-4 run while holding the Jaguars to just one field goal in the final 4:51 of the game.

Jeff Thomas scored 21 points with seven rebounds, Devin Mitchell scored 14, Kane Williams had 11 points and six assists, and D'Marcus Simonds added 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Georgia State scored 29 points off turnovers, while also making 13 3-pointers and outscoring South Alabama 32-20 in the paint.

Herb McGee led South Alabama with 26 points and eight assists. Rodrick Sikes scored 14, Kory Holden had 12 and R.J. Kelly had 11 in a losing effort.

“I'm really proud of my guys and really proud of one guy, in particular, Damon Wilson,” head coach Ron Hunter said. “He didn't score one point tonight and he may have just given us a chance to win a championship. I've never seen someone dominate a game like that and not score a point.

“In the second half, I thought we made some really good adjustments. They did some things in the first half that we did not expect but adjusted well. We only gave up two 3-pointers in the second half and that proved to be the difference.”

Both teams came out firing from long range in the first half, making a combined 11 3-pointers in the first nine minutes. Georgia State hung on to a three-point lead with a little under eight minutes left, but a 25-4 run by the Jaguars helped them build an 18-point advantage.

Georgia State struggled from the field in the first half, shooting 33.3 percent, while allowing South Alabama to knock down 12 3-pointers. The Panthers trailed 53-39 at halftime as the Jaguars shot 54.8 percent from the floor and 63.2 percent from 3-point range before the break.

Thomas had the hot hand for Georgia State to start the second half, hitting back-to-back triples to help kick off a 16-1 run, cutting the deficit to one. A steal by Mitchell led to a fast break dunk by Williams, gave Georgia State its first lead since the 7:28 mark in the first half, 59-58.

South Alabama would retake the lead, going up by as many as seven at the midway point, but the Panthers would respond, taking a one-point lead thanks to a 9-1 run, with all nine Georgia State points coming from Thomas and Mitchell. Benlevi extended the lead to four on a 3-pointer, giving the Panthers a 75-71 lead with six minutes remaining.

The Jaguars would retake the lead again on a pair of McGee free-throws with four minutes left, but Thomas hit a three on the other end, sparking a 13-2 run to cap the remarkable comeback.

Thomas passed Jim Jacobs and Lamont McIntosh to move into 15th on Georgia State's all-time scoring list, while Benlevi moved up to No. 24, passing Shernard Long and Jeremy Hollowell.

Thomas and Mitchell each pass Trae Golston to move into third in career 3-pointers made with 199 each, and Benlevi moved past Kevin Morris to take over ninth, with 163.

Georgia State shot 70.8 percent from the floor in the second half, knocking down 8-of-14 from 3-point range.

Georgia State outscored South Alabama 29-7 off turnovers, forcing the Jaguars into 18 turnovers.

Georgia State will open a two-game trip in the Carolinas next Thursday at Appalachian State. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Boone, N.C.