CINCINNATI, OH --Jelani Hamilton scored 26 points, but the Georgia State men's basketball team fell to the Cincinnati Bearcats 74-64 on the road Friday.

Hamilton added four assists and two steals to his 26 point game to lead the Panthers (0-2). Joah Chappelle helped out with 10 points and nine rebounds and Anhtony Enoh chipped in with five points coming off the bench.

The Georgia State defense was a problem in Friday's game, forcing 16 Cincinnati turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 11 points on the other end of the floor. Hamilton's two steals led the way individually for the Panthers.

How It Happened

After falling behind 27-20, Georgia State went on a 6-0 run with 6:06 left in the first half to narrow its deficit to 27-26. Cincinnati answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Panthers down 39-30 entering halftime.

Cincinnati kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 49-37 advantage before Georgia State went on a 7-0 run, finished off by Micah Tucker's layup, to shrink the deficit to 49-44 with 13:15 to go in the contest. Cincinnati responded and outscored the Panthers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 74-64. Georgia State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 11 of its 34 total points.
 

Game Notes

» The Panthers shared the ball well, recording an assist on 62 percent of made field goals.
» The Georgia State defense forced 16 turnovers.
» Jelani Hamilton led the Panthers with a game-high 26 points.
» Georgia State got a team-high nine rebounds from Joah Chappelle.

The Panthers host Presbyterian for their season-opener on Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m.