ATLANTA— The Georgia State women's basketball team (8-11, 3-4 SBC) put together a dominant defensive performance Saturday, limiting the Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-9, 1-6 SBC) to just 19.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc (5-for-26) en route to a 79-57 victory at the GSU Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers placed four players in double figures, led by Crystal Henderson's new season-high 27 points. Cheyenne Holloman followed with 13 points and two steals, while Kaleigh Addie added 12 points to round out the balanced scoring effort.Georgia State recorded 14 assists while committing just seven turnovers. Addie and Gabbie Grooms each paced the Panthers with three assists apiece.
Defensively, the Panthers were just as sharp, forcing 16 Appalachian State turnovers and converting those takeaways into 29 points. Grooms and Holloman led Georgia State on the defensive end with two steals each.
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-3 early, Georgia State responded with a 6-0 run midway through the first quarter, capped by a bucket from Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu with 5:05 remaining, trimming the deficit to 11-9. Appalachian State answered with a late surge and the Panthers entered the second quarter trailing 19-12.
Georgia State chipped away in the second period, steadily closing the gap and pulling within 31-28 by halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Panthers continued to apply pressure, cutting the deficit to 35-33 before erupting for a 10-0 run for a 43-35 lead with 6:04 left in the third quarter. The Panthers maintained momentum for the remainder of the period, extending the advantage to 56-40 entering the fourth. Georgia State capitalized on seven App State turnovers in the quarter, converting them into 13 points.
The Panthers put the game away early in the fourth, opening the period with another 10-0 run capped by a Kaleigh Addie three-pointer to stretch the lead to 72-48 with 4:12 remaining. The Mountaineers trimmed the margin late, but Georgia State remained in control down the stretch, cruising to a 79-57 victory. The Panthers again took advantage of Mountaineer miscues in the final quarter, turning five turnovers into 13 points.
Game Notes
» The Panthers were efficient from beyond the arc, knocking down eight of 19 three-point attempts.
» Georgia State turned in a dominant defensive performance, holding Appalachian State to just 19 percent shooting from three (5-for-26).
» The Panther bench provided a strong spark, contributing 25 points.
» Georgia State edged Appalachian State on the glass, 26-25.
» The Panthers forced 16 Mountaineer turnovers on the defensive end.
» Georgia State recorded 14 assists.
» Crystal Henderson led all scorers with a game-high 27 points for a new season-high.
» Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
» Henderson reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career and now sits at 1,023 points.
» Head coach Gene Hill recorded his 100th career win at Georgia State.
Up Next
The Panthers plan to carry this momentum to Mobile, Alabama where they will face the South Alabama Jaguars on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
