ATLANTA, GA --Jelani Hamilton totaled 23 points, and Malachi Brown posted a double-double, to help lead the Georgia State men's basketball team past the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 69-62 at home Thursday.

"I told our guys that if they want to compete for a championship, these are the games that they are going to have to win," Head Coach Jonas Hayes said, reflecting on the upset. "I want to give a lot of credit to Southern Miss. They came in physical, and it was a hard fought game, but we met the challenge."

Hamilton added seven rebounds and two blocks to his 23 point game to lead the Panthers. Micah Tucker helped out with 14 points, four assists and four steals and Malachi Brown chipped in with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Georgia State offense was very productive from three point land, knocking down eight threes on 24 attempts. Brown was the most prolific shooter for the Panthers, draining two treys in the contest.

Georgia State's defense held Southern Miss to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with six offensive rebounds and managed eight second chance points while Georgia State cleared 33 defensive rebounds.

How It Happened

After falling behind 30-21, Georgia State went on a 7-0 run with 3:37 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Tucker, to narrow its deficit to 30-28. The Panthers deficit remained the same as they entered halftime trailing 32-30.

After intermission, Georgia State managed to gain control and had a 35-33 lead before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 41-33 with 12:33 to go in the contest. The Golden Eagles narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Panthers still cruised the rest of the way for the 69-62 win. Georgia State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 10 of its 39 total points.

Game Notes

» Malachi Brown notched a double-double for the Panthers with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
» Georgia State lit it up from three point land, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» The Panthers held the Golden Eagles to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field.
» Georgia State had a 45-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Panthers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Georgia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Jelani Hamilton led the Panthers with a game-high 23 points.
» Georgia State got a game-high 10 rebounds from Malachi Brown.

The Panthers look to build on their momentum at home, hosting Arkansas State on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2:00 p.m..

Saturday's matchup against the Red Wolves remains as scheduled. Stay up to date about any changes to Saturday's game due to weather on Georgia State socials @GSUPanthers and @GSU_MBasketball