MOBILE, Ala. — Crystal Henderson delivered game-tying shot with two seconds remaining in regulation, lifting the Panthers to a 78-75 road victory over the South Alabama Jaguars (9-9, 2-6 SBC) on Thursday night inside Mitchtell Center.
The Georgia State Panthers (9-11, 4-4 SBC) placed four players in double figures, led by Henderson's all-around performance of 22 points, seven assists and three steals. Kaleigh Addie followed with 18 points, while Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu provided a spark off the bench, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
The Panthers controlled the glass on the offensive end, hauling in 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 21 second-chance points. Ari Dyson paced the effort with six offensive boards.
Defensively, Georgia State applied consistent pressure, forcing 24 South Alabama turnovers while committing just 13 of its own. The Panthers capitalized with 23 points off turnovers, with Robinson-Nwagwu leading the way with four steals.
How It Happened
Georgia State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 25-7 at the end of the first quarter.
South Alabama kept adding to that lead, building a 29-9 advantage before Georgia State went on a 12-0 run to narrow its deficit to 29-21. The Panthers were unable to narrow the gap any further to enter halftime with a 33-25 deficit.
The Jaguars continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 43-31 advantage before Georgia State went on a 5-0 run to trim its deficit to 43-36 with 3:49 to go in the third. South Alabama countered and stretched its lead to 54-45 heading into the fourth. Georgia State dominated near the basket, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.
South Alabama kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 60-47 advantage before Georgia State went on a 10-0 run to shrink the deficit to 60-57 with 4:18 to go in the fourth. The Panthers rally continued as they outscored South Alabama 13-10 the rest of the way to tie it at 70-70 and send the game to overtime. Henderson's shot sent the contest to an extra period with only two seconds left. Georgia State took advantage of six South Alabama turnovers in the quarter, scoring seven points off of those takeaways.
Georgia State started overtime with a bang, going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Robinson-Nwagwu's layup, to seize a 75-70 lead with 2:56 to go in the period. The Jaguars were unable to narrow the margin, leading the Panthers to a 78-75 victory.
Game Notes
» Ari Dyson notched a double-double for the Panthers with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Panthers rallied from a nine-point 54-45 third quarter deficit to force the game into overtime.
» The Panthers forced 24 South Alabama turnovers while committing only 13 on the other end.
» The Georgia State defense forced 24 turnovers.
» Georgia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Crystal Henderson led the Panthers with a game-high 22 points.
» Ari Dyson nabbed 10 rebounds to lead Georgia State and Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu followed with 7.
Up Next
The Panthers head to Troy, Alabama to face the Troy Trojans on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 12 pm. ET inside the Trojan Arena.
