Panthers Open Louisiana Swing Thursday at ULM

GEORGIA STATE (8-6, 1-1) at ULM (6-9, 2-0)
Thursday, Jan. 5 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Fant-Ewing Coliseum

WATCH: ESPN+
LISTEN: Georgia State Radio Network on WRAS-FM 88.5 and GSU Athletics mobile app.

THE TIPOFF: Georgia State makes its first Sun Belt Conference road trip this weekend, beginning with a Thursday game at ULM at 7:30 p.m. ET at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Panthers then play at Louisiana Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

> Georgia State (8-6, 1-1 Sun Belt) earned its first Sun Belt Conference win, and the first for head coach Jonas Hayes, with Saturday's 68-58 victory over South Alabama. Ja'Heim Hudson recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Dwon Odom also scored 18 and the Panthers rallied from a 13-point deficit late in the first half with an 18-0 scoring run.

> ULM (6-9, 2-0 Sun Belt) is tied for first in the conference after opening league play with wins over Arkansas State and Texas State.

> Sophomore guard Dwon Odom is the Panthers' leading scorer with 15.6 ppg and second-leading rebounder at 5.1 pg. He also leads the team in assists (48/3.4) and steals (17) and is second in blocked shots (12).

> Odom, the No. 8 scorer in the Sun Belt Conference, has reached 20 points four times, including a career-high 27 in the win over UNC Asheville and 24 vs. Belmont.

> Sophomore forward Ja'Heim Hudson averages 10.2 points and leads GSU in rebounding (8.3/6th in Sun Belt) and blocked shots (13). He has three double-doubles on the season.

> The Panthers rank third in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, holding their opponents to 63.0 points per game. GSU limited James Madison, the nation's top scoring team, to 63 points in last week's Sun Belt opener.

> Georgia State features four players averaging in double figures: Dwon Odom (15.6), Brenden Tucker (10.5), Evan Johnson, (10.4) and Ja'Heim Hudson (10.2), while Jamaine Mann (9.8) is just off the pace.

SERIES NOTES: Georgia State holds a 12-8 lead in the series with ULM.

> The Panthers have won four in a row, including both meetings last season, when GSU won 73-62 at ULM and 82-70 in Atlanta.

> Since rejoining the Sun Belt for the 2013-14 season, Georgia State is 12-3 against the Warhawks, including a 5-2 mark at ULM.

> ULM's last win in the series was an 82-76 victory in Monroe in 2018-19.

> The teams first played in 1974-75, and ULM, then known as Northeast Louisiana, won the first five meetings through 1981. They did not play again until 2013-14.

SHINING IN THE SUN BELT: Since returning to the Sun Belt Conference for the 2013-14 season, Georgia State has been the league's most successful program:

> GSU has won four Sun Belt Tournament titles since 2014 (2015, 1018, 2019, 2022). No other program has more than one in that time.

> Georgia State has finished first or second in the league standings in six of the last nine years, including regular-season titles in 2014, 2015 and 2019 and the East Division crown in 2021.

> The Panthers lead all Sun Belt teams in overall wins (195) and conference wins (108) in that time, ahead of Louisiana (188/98) and Sun Belt newcomer Old Dominion (190 overall).

> Since 2013-14, GSU has a .654 winning percentage in all games, including a .675 mark in Sun Belt contests.

CHARITY CASE: Georgia State ranks No. 2 in the Sun Belt in free throw shooting at 73.9 percent.

> Individually, Dwon Odom is fifth in the Sun Belt in free throws made, sixth in attempts and No. 4 in percentage at 82 percent.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#15 Ja'Heim Hudson: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore

#0 Evan Johnson: G; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#1 Dwon Odom: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#5 Brenden Tucker: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#2 Jamaine Mann: G; 6' 6"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Ja'Heim Hudson
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: F

#0 Evan Johnson
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G

#1 Dwon Odom
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#5 Brenden Tucker
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#2 Jamaine Mann
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: G