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Huddle

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Kane Williams

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Jalen Thomas

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Justin Roberts

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Evan Johnson

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Huddle

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Rob Lanier

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Kane Williams and Justin Roberts

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Kane Williams

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Justin Roberts

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Justin Roberts

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Kane Williams

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Evan Johnson

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Corey Allen

Photo Credit: Sun Belt Conference

Men's Basketball 3/6/2021 10:25:00 PM

Survive and Advance: Panthers Top Arkansas State 71-68

Box Score PENSACOLA, Fla.-Eliel Nsoseme recorded his fifth double-double of the year, Justin Roberts scored a team-high 17 points, and Georgia State scored the final seven points of the game to top Arkansas State 71-68 on Saturday night at the Pensacola Bay Center to open the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

No. 1-seed Georgia State (15-5) trailed No. 4-seed Arkansas State (11-13) 68-64 with 3:11 to play but managed to hold the Red Wolves scoreless while ending the game on a 7-0 run to win for the seventh-straight time and advance to the semifinals on Sunday where they will face No. 2-seed Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Along with recording the double-double which included 10 points and 12 rebounds, Nsoseme came up big in the final 90 seconds going 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Roberts just missed his second career-double-double adding eight rebounds and four assists. Senior Corey Allen added 15 points, while freshman Evan Johnson came off the bench to score 11. Sophomore Jalen Thomas scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting while pulling down five rebounds.

Arkansas State was led by Norchad Omier's double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds before he fouled out late. Marquis Eaton added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Red Wolves which were held to just 37.3 percent shooting.

Arkansas State took an early 7-3 lead following a lay-up by Caleb Fields, but Allen's second 3-pointer in the first four minutes gave the Panthers an 8-7 lead.

Arkansas State used a 9-0 run, capped by Avery Felts' second 3-pointer of the first half to take a 24-16 lead with 9:03 to play before the break. An 8-0 run by Arkansas State gave the Red Wolves a 32-19 lead with 6:33 to play, the Panthers largest deficit of the game.

However, Georgia State held the Red Wolves without a field goal the remainder of the half, outscoring the A-State 15-1 over that time to go into the locker room with a 34-33 lead.

The Red Wolves took an early 41-39 four minutes into the second half before the Panthers responded with a 7-0 run to lead 46-41 with 14:49 to play. Minutes later Arkansas State responded with an 8-0 run to lead 51-48 at the under 12 media timeout.

Over the next nine minutes neither team built more than a four-point lead. Malcolm Farrington's 3-pointer with 3:11 to play would be the last time Arkansas State scored.

Allen made a lay-up with 1:57 to play to cut the deficit to two. Nsoseme then knocked down two free throws with 1:32 to play to tie the game. With 61 seconds left, he knocked down one more before Johnson went 2-of-2 at the line with 29.7 seconds to play, the final points of the game.

The Panthers finished the night shooting 45.2 percent from the floor to overcome being outrebounded 47-38.

Game Highlights
• Georgia State entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as a No. 1-seed for the sixth time. The Panthers have won three championships as a No. 1-seed and are now 11-2 in that spot.
• GSU is 32-33 all-time in conference tournaments, but 9-4 since returning to the Sun Belt for the 2013-14 season.
• Georgia State is 9-6 all-time in conference championships in the state of Florida, winning a conference championship in 1991 in DeLand which led to the Panthers' first NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Georgia State's 15-5 mark is the second-best 20-game start in program history, only behind the 17-3 start of 2000-01.
• Senior Kane Williams remained tied with Terrence Brandon with 531 free throw attempts, the most in program history.
• Georgia State has already secured an eighth-straight winning season for the first time in program history.
• Williams, who managed just two points, now has 1,198 for his career, 14 shy of Kevin Morris for 12th and 16 shy of Zavian Smith for 11th on GSU's all-time list.
• Williams has been a part of 82 wins in his four years, the eighth-best four-year stretch in program history. He is five wins shy of the school record of 87.
• Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular season conference standings six times in eight seasons.
• During that same time, GSU has won more games (168) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.

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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

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

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

#0 Evan Johnson: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

#0 Evan Johnson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G