ATLANTA, GA -- Mikyla Tolivert put up 18 points to lead the Panthers to a 64-55 victory over Texas State at home on Saturday.
"I'm really proud of our players for coming out and rebounding after Thursday's game [against ULM]," head coach Gene Hill said. "I felt like we came out with another level of intensity defensively, which is what we needed to get a win like this."
The Georgia State women's basketball team got a 25-point performance from the bench to break a three-game losing steak on the series against Texas State.
The Panthers (8-5, 2-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Tolivert, who posted 18 points, two steals and two blocks. Kaleigh Addie tacked on 11 points from the bench and Crystal Henderson added nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Georgia State collected 36 rebounds in Saturday's game, led by eight boards from Alyssa Phillip.
Georgia State forced 20 Texas State turnovers. The Panthers turned those takeaways into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Patience Williams led the way individually with three steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-0, Georgia State went on an 11-0 run with 5:09 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Addie, to take an 11-3 lead. The Panthers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with an 11-5 advantage. Georgia State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 11 points.
Georgia State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 4:24 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Addie, to increase its lead to 21-14. The Bobcats cut into that lead, but the Panthers still enjoyed a 23-20 advantage heading into halftime. Georgia State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 12 points.
Texas State then took a 30-29 lead following intermission before Georgia State went on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Williams, to grab a 38-30 lead with 4:10 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Panthers added four points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 49-37 edge. Georgia State took advantage of six Texas State turnovers in the quarter, scoring eight points off of takeaways.
Georgia State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 53-40 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Henderson's layup, to grow the lead to 58-40 with 6:37 to go in the contest. The Bobcats narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Panthers still cruised the rest of the way for the 64-55 win. Georgia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 15 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Panthers held the Bobcats to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field.
» The Georgia State bench came alive by adding 25 points to its scoring output.
» Georgia State had a 36-32 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Georgia State defense forced 20 turnovers.
» The Panthers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Mikyla Tolivert led the Panthers with 18 points.
» Georgia State got a game-high eight rebounds from Alyssa Phillip.
The Panthers are back in action on Jan. 11 at 11:00 am as they host Marshall for Education Day inside the GSU Convocation Center.
