ATLANTA --The Georgia State men's basketball team got a 24-point showing from the bench on the way to a 77-73 victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at home Saturday.

"I'm just excited for our guys," head coach Jonas Hayes said. "I'm excited that we got the result that we all want, and these guys deserve to win. This was as close to a total team win as we can possibly get. Our guys are fighting, and to see the result of that effort is satisfying." 

The Panthers had three players score in double figures, led by Jelani Hamilton, who had 23 points. Micah Tucker added 16 points and Jakai Newton chipped in as well with 13 points from the bench.

Georgia State grabbed 37 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Jacksonville State's 36, led by Anhtony Enoh's 12 boards.

How It Happened

After falling behind 8-7, Georgia State went on a 7-0 run with 14:03 left in the first half to take a 14-8 lead. The Panthers then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 37-31 advantage. Georgia State got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 13 of its 37 total points.

Jacksonville State proceeded to take a 68-66 lead before Georgia State went on a 7-0 run to seize a 73-68 lead with 34 seconds to go in the contest. The Gamecocks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Panthers still held on for the 77-73 win. Georgia State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 11 of its 40 total points.

Game Notes

» Georgia State lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Georgia State bench made an impact by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.
» Georgia State had a 37-36 edge on the boards in the win.
» Jelani Hamilton led the Panthers with a game-high 23 points.
» Georgia State got a game-high 12 rebounds from Anhtony Enoh.

The Panthers tip off conference play at Georgia Southern on Dec. 18 at 8:00 p.m.