ATLANTA-- After defeating Coastal Carolina on the road early in the season, Georgia State looks to take the series against the Chanticleers on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.  

THE SERIES: 
The two teams are meeting for the 21st time in program history and the second time this season.The Panthers evened the series score at 10 after defeating the Chanticleers 89-71 on the road earlier this season. Georgia State is 6-2 on home territory. 

TOP STORYLINES: 
Georgia State concluded all road matches for the regular season on Feb. 14 at Old Dominion, and will finish out the season on a four-game homestand. The Panthers are slated to host Old Dominion on Feb. 27 to close out the regular season. 

The Panthers went on a four-game winning streak in January, recording wins over Marshall, ULM, Southern Miss and Arkansas State. 

Two Panthers have beaten career-highs this season, both records that were previously held for at least a year. Jelani Hamilton notched a Sun Belt-high 38 points in the Panthers upset over Arkansas State (Jan. 24) and Malachi Brown led the team with 25 points at Louisiana (Jan. 29). 

NATIONALLY RANKED IN FREE THROWS: 

Georgia State leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 7 nationally in free throw efficiency after converting free throws at a 78.9 percent clip.

Helping the Panthers to a national ranking in free throw percentage is Redshirt sophomore Jelani Hamilton, who leads the Sun Belt and ranks 37th nationally with an 88.8 free throw average. Hamilton went on a 22-free-throws-made streak from Dec. 20-Jan. 10. His 22 consecutive free throws made ranks eighth in program history, 17 shots away from the record of 38.  

Tucker also tops the Sun Belt rankings in free throw percentage after notching an 81.6  percentage from the line to place sixth overall against conference opponents.

TOPPING THE SUN BELT CHARTS: 

In addition to leading the Sun Belt and holding a No. 37 national ranking in free throw percentage through yet another week, Jelani Hamilton ranks fourth in the Sun Belt for points per game (17.8) and holds top 10 spots in multiple categories.

Hamilton is  also second in the conference for steals per game with 1.92. His 46 total steals ranks fourth in the conference. Hamilton's 143 total free throws ranks fourth in the Sun Belt. 

SHOOTERS SHOOT: 

Georgia State averages 70.1 points per game, shooting 37.9 percent from the field. Georgia State has connected 8.5 three-pointers per game while shooting 32.3 percent from behind the arc. 

The Panthers have recorded seven games of 80 or more points, including a season-high 110 points vs. Columbia College (Dec. 28).

The Panthers average 22.31 ppg off the bench, accounting for 31.4 percent of Georgia State's Overall offensive productivity. The team ranks fifth overall in the conference for bench points per game.  

LEADING THE PACK: 

Jelani Hamilton leads the Panthers in almost all scoring categories, averaging 17.8 ppg while  shooting 37.1 percent (118-for-318) from the floor and 88.8 percent (143-for-161) at the free-throw line. He is second on the Panthers leaderboard in three-point scoring, averaging 35.0 percent (48-for-137) from 3-point range. 

The redshirt sophomore guard notched a double-double in the Panthers' win over Georgia Southern (Feb. 19), recording 13 points and 10 rebounds. Hamilton scored a career-high 38 points against Arkansas State, tying for the best single-game performance by any Sun Belt men's basketball player this season (tied with Chaze Harris, South Alabama). 

Despite missing five contests due to an injury early in the season, Hamilton leads the Panthers in total points (427). He hit double-digit points in 13 straight games (12/13-1/31) and 20 of 24 games played.  

Malachi Brown leads the team in three-point scoring, knocking down 58 treys and connecting at a 37.4 percent clip. He scored a career-high 25 points against Louisiana (Jan. 29). 

Brown recorded a career-first double-double against Southern Miss (Jan. 22), posting 12 points and 10 rebounds. 


The Panthers close out the regular season against Old Dominion on Friday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.