Men's Basketball 12/31/2020 11:22:00 AM

Panthers Open SBC Play at Coastal Friday

ATLANTA-Looking to continue momentum off one of the best non-conference seasons in program history, Georgia State will open Sun Belt Conference play on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m.) traveling to Conway, S.C., to face Coastal Carolina.

Georgia State (6-1) has won four-straight and finished non-conference play with the best winning percentage in program history. Over the first seven games, the Panthers have scored 100 or more points three times in the first seven games, already matching the most times scoring over the century mark in a single season. The Panthers are averaging 93.6 points per game, ranked No. 6 in the NCAA, and have the third-best assist/turnover ratio (1.92) in the country. GSU is also shooting 50.8 percent from the floor which ranks No. 22 in the nation.

Coastal Carolina (6-1) split two games with Georgia State last season as each team won on its home court. The Chanticleers are currently the top scoring team in the Sun Belt Conference averaging 96.1 points per game.

The Panthers are currently ranked No. 3 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, the highest Georgia State has ever been ranked in the poll.

Senior Corey Allen was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday. For the season he is averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has knocked down a league high 27 3-pointers while shooting 56.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Redshirt-junior Eliel Nsoseme is averaging a double-double of 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He is shooting 66.1 percent from the floor and has pulled down double-doubles in two of the last three games.

Junior Justin Roberts leads the Panthers in scoring averaging 16.1 points per game, while senior Kane Williams, who became the 23^rd Georgia State player to score 1,000 career points earlier this year, is averaging 13.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.

Broadcast Information

Radio: None
Television: ESPN+, PbP: Nate Ross, Color: Zeke Beam
Live Stats: GeorgiaStateSports.com

Game Notes
• Georgia State, the most successful team in the Sun Belt since returning to the league for the 2013-14 season, opens conference play with two games at Coastal Carolina.
• Georgia State enters the weekend ranked No. 3 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, the highest the Panthers have ever been ranked in the poll.
• GSU is off to its third-best start in program history (6-1), only behind the perfect starts to the 1975-76 and 2000-01 seasons.
• Georgia State has scored 100 or more points in three games this year, matching the school record for times going over the century mark in a season (1988-89 and 1991-92).
• The Panthers are currently ranked No. 6 in the NCAA averaging 93.6 points per game, while holding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.92 which ranks No. 3 in the NCAA. GSU averages 19.4 assists per game which ranks 16th in the country.
• Eliel Nsoseme is No. 4 in the NCAA averaging 4.57 offense rebounds per contest and No. 15 averaging 10.6 rebounds per game. He grabbed 20 rebounds against Mercer and has recorded double-doubles in two of the last three games.
• Corey Allen, who was named Sun Belt Player of the Week on Tuesday, is No. 9 in the nation knocking down 3.86 3-pointers per game. He has drilled 27 so far this year.
• Allen is currently ranked among the top 40 (No. 38) active scorers in the nation with 1,391 points.
• Kane Williams is one of two active Sun Belt players (Marquis Eaton-Arkansas State) with career totals of at least 1,000 points (1,048), 250 rebounds (332) and 250 assists (327). There are 45 active NCAA Division I players with those milestones.
• Williams, an All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team member, enters with 1,048 career points, 11 shy of Jim Jacobs for 19th on GSU's all-time list. He is the 23rd Panther to reach the milestone.
• Senior Justin Roberts was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 1, a day after being named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week.
• GSU's win over Georgia Tech on opening night gave the Panthers their first win ever over an ACC opponent. The Panthers set school records for points scored (123), combined points (243), fouls (37), combined fouls (65) while playing the first triple and quadruple overtime game in school history.
• Also in the win over Tech, four Panthers (Allen, Nsoseme, Roberts, and Williams) each scored 20 or more points marking the first time in program history that feat has been accomplished in a game.
• The win over Tech also gave the Panthers three wins over Power 5 programs in the last two-plus seasons.
• In Georgia State's win over Carver, the Panthers set school records for field goals made (51) and assists (34) while seven players scored in double figures, tying a school record.
• 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 seven seasons.
• During that same time, GSU has won more games (159) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.
• Georgia State is under the leadership of second-year head coach Rob Lanier. His 19 wins in his first year at the helm is the third-most by a first-year head coach in program history.
• GSU was selected to win the East Division of the Sun Belt this year in the annual preseason poll by the coaches and media.

Following the games this weekend, Georgia State will continue Sun Belt Conference play on the road with a pair of games at Troy starting on Jan. 8 and 9, in Troy, Ala.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#1 Eliel Nsoseme: F; 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior

#2 Justin Roberts: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#12 Kane Williams: G; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#1 Eliel Nsoseme
: 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#2 Justin Roberts
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#12 Kane Williams
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G