Gameweek - Appalachian State and South Alabama

Men's Basketball 2/22/2021 3:41:00 PM

Panthers Close Home Schedule Hosting Appalachian State Tuesday

ATLANTA-Winners of three-straight games and controlling their own destiny to win the Sun Belt Conference East Division with three games to play, the Georgia State men's basketball team will host Appalachian State on Tuesday at 5 p.m., at the GSU Sports Arena.

Georgia State (11-5, 5-4 Sun Belt) swept a series from Troy over the weekend to move into third place in the division despite missing nine games this season due to COVID-19 protocols. As the Panthers have won three-straight, Appalachian State (12-9, 6-6 Sun Belt) comes into Tuesday's contest having lost four-straight games.

Over the weekend, junior Justin Roberts just missed back-to-back double-doubles with double digit scoring performances and nine assists in each game. He was named the College Sports Madness Sun Belt Player of the Week for his efforts on Monday. For the season he is averaging 14.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Georgia State continues to be led by Eliel Nsoseme who is averaging a double-double of 12.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He is currently fourth in the NCAA shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. He is also fourth in the nation averaging 4.21 offensive rebounds per game and No. 21 in rebounds per contest.

Senior Corey Allen leads the Panthers in scoring averaging 15.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He eclipsed 1,500 points for his career over the weekend and is among the top 50 active scorers in the country.

Senior Kane Williams, who became the 23^rd Georgia State player to score 1,000 career points earlier this year, is averaging 12.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest. He is now just 15 points shy of Jeff Thomas for 15^th on the all-time scoring list.

Having broken the century mark three times already this season, the Panthers enter Tuesday's game averaging 80.5 points per game which ranks No. 24 in the NCAA. Georgia State is also 21st in the nation in assist/turnover ratio and No. 37 in field goal percentage.

Broadcast Information

Radio: GSU Mobile App/TuneIn Radio
Television: ESPN+, PbP: Dave Cohen, Color: Lamont McIntosh
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 with 94 league wins during that time, has missed 9 games this year due to COVID-19 protocols, including two against Appalachian State.
• Georgia State enters play on a three-game winning streak following a weekend sweep of Troy. The Panthers are two games behind first-place South Alabama with a two-game series looming this weekend.
• In a scheduling oddity, six of the last seven match-ups with Appalachian State have been in Boone.
• Over the weekend, junior Justin Roberts just missed a pair of double-doubles against Troy. He went for 12 points and 9 assists in Game 1 and followed it with 13 points and 9 assists in Game 2.
• Georgia State entered the week No. 23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
• 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).
• GSU is currently ranked No. 24 in the NCAA averaging 80.5 points per game, while holding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.38 which ranks No. 21 in the NCAA. GSU is shooting 47.5 percent from the floor which ranks No. 37 in the nation.
• Eliel Nsoseme is No. 4 in the NCAA averaging 4.21 offensive rebounds per contest and No. 21 averaging 10.0 rebounds per game. He grabbed 20 rebounds against Mercer and has recorded three double-doubles. He is also shooting 66.7 percent from the floor which ranks 4th in the country.
• Corey Allen is shooting 43.2 percent from deep which ranks No. 8 in the NCAA. He is currently ranked No. 43 among active scorers in the nation with 1,529 points.
• Kane Williams is one of four active Sun Belt players with career totals of at least 1,000 points (1,145), 250 rebounds (355) and 250 assists (358). There are 59 active NCAA Division I players with those milestones.
• Williams, an All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team member, enters with 1,145 career points, 15 shy of Jeff Thomas for 15th on GSU's all-time list. He is the 23rd Panther to reach the milestone. Williams is also just 12 free throw attempts shy of Terrence Brandon's school record of 531 career attempts. He is second all-time with 376 made free throw attempts.
• GSU's win over Georgia Tech, the Panthers earned their first win ever over an ACC opponent and third over a Power 5 opponent in the last three years. GSU 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.
• 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 (164) 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.

Following the game on Tuesday, Georgia State close out the regular season with a pair of games at South Alabama this Friday (9 p.m./ESPN2) and Saturday (7 p.m./ESPN+). Both games will also air live on WRAS-FM 88.5.

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Players Mentioned

#30 Jeff Thomas: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#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

#30 Jeff Thomas
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#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