ATLANTA – Dwon Odom scored 24 points and Georgia State nearly overcame a 10-point deficit before falling to Belmont 68-66 on Sunday afternoon at the GSU Convocation Center.

Odom was one of four Panthers to reach double figures.  The sophomore from Alpharetta shot 10-of-18 from the field with eight rebounds and had a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation but couldn't get the layup to fall.

Jamaine Mann scored 17 points and shot 6-of-13 from the field with eight rebounds.  Ja'Heim Hudson just missed a double-double, scoring 13 points with nine rebounds, and Danny Stubbs scored 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting with two three-pointers.

Playing without starting guards Brenden Tucker and Evan Johnson for the third straight game, Georgia State (4-3) couldn't overcome a red-hot Belmont offense that shot 52 percent (13-of-25) from three-point range.  The Bruins (4-3) were led by Drew Friburg, who scored 24 points and shot a remarkable 7-of-10 from three.

"I have nothing but great things to say about Belmont.  Well-coached team.  They can absolutely shoot the blood out of the ball.  When you make 13 three-point field goal attempts out of 25, you have got to tip your cap to that," GSU head coach Jonas Hayes said.  "This is going to be just a step in the process of us becoming the team that we're capable of, but I have 1000 percent confidence in the guys in our locker room.  We're going to continue to get better.  I do realize we have got to guard the three-point line a little bit better, but take nothing away from Belmont.  They came in here and got a win."

The Panthers trailed 68-61 with 1:25 left when Danny Stubbs drilled a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four.  Dwon Odom then drew a foul on a steal attempt with 52 seconds left and made both free throws to make it 68-66. 

GSU got the ball back after forcing a turnover but then turned the ball over themselves and were forced to foul with seven seconds left.  Belmont missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Odom drove across the court all the way to the basket but his shot in traffic didn't fall.

The score was 57-49 Belmont with 7:48 left when Georgia State rallied as Odom made a layup and two free throws to pull the Panthers within four.  A Bruin three-pointer pushed the lead back to seven before layups by Stubbs and Odom and two free throws by Hudson brought it down to one, but the Panthers would get no closer.

With the score tied at 33 with 17:29 left when Belmont went on a 13-3 run to take a 10 point lead.

GSU briefly took a 27-26 lead on a three-pointer by Hudson with 3:47 left in the first half, but the Bruins promptly scored five of the next seven points to lead by two at halftime.

The Panthers will host Middle Georgia State at the GSU Convocation Center on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.