AKRON, OH --The Georgia State women's basketball team went into the half leading Akron 42-34, but could not pull away in the second half and fell 81-73 to the Zips on the road Monday.
The Panthers (0-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Crystal Henderson, who had 20 points and three steals. Mikyla Tolivert tacked on 17 points, four assists and two steals and Mya Williams helped out with 15 points.
The Georgia State offense was strong from beyond the arc, making 11 threes on 33 attempts. Williams hit three treys for the Panthers in the contest.
Georgia State did a great job disrupting Akron shots in the contest, coming away with nine blocks. Mahogany Matthews' eight rejections led the Panthers individually.
How It Happened
After falling behind 12-11, Georgia State went on a 9-0 run with 5:02 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Patience Williams, to take a 20-12 lead. The Panthers then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter-break with a 25-14 advantage. Georgia State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 25 points.
Georgia State kept its first-quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 2:17 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Tolivert, to increase its lead to 42-27. The Zips cut into that lead, but the Panthers still enjoyed a 42-34 advantage heading into halftime. Georgia State forced four Akron turnovers in the period and turned them into five points.
Georgia State then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Zips 57-49 entering the fourth. Georgia State knocked down one three-pointer in the quarter to score three of its seven total points.
Georgia State narrowed its deficit to 64-57 before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Tolivert's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 64-62 with 5:21 to go in the contest. Akron responded and outscored the Panthers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 81-73. Georgia State fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 24 points.
Game Notes
» Georgia State found success from three-point land, knocking down 11 threes in the game.
» The Panthers held the Zips to only 37.7 percent shooting from the field.
» Mahogany Matthews made an impact on the defensive end with eight blocks in the contest.
» The Georgia State defense forced 18 turnovers.
» The Panthers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying nine blocks as a team.
» Georgia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Crystal Henderson led the Panthers with 20 points.
» Georgia State got a team-high eight rebounds from Eden Johnson.
The Panthers return to the court on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. as they head across town to face Georgia Tech.
