It had all the makings of a troublesome way to start the new year in the CAA, but to everyone’s surprise, the men’s basketball team hit the floor and played one of its best games of the season, shocking Old Dominion last Saturday, 55-54. It was the first time the Panthers had beaten ODU since joining the CAA, and they needed a Trae Goldston 3-point shot with 11 seconds remaining to do it. While snapping their own four-game losing skid, the Panthers also brought ODU’s seven-game winning streak to a crashing halt. Georgia State built its lead to as many as 17 points in the second half but had to withstand and fight off an expected ODU run. The Monarchs did, in fact, rally, even taking a 54-52 lead late when Darius James nailed a 3-pointer with just 1:27 to play before Goldston’s 3-point dagger.
HOSTS TAKE INVITATIONAL
Congratulations to the women’s basketball team on winning the 15th annual Georgia State Invitational Tournament last week. The Panthers handled Mississippi Valley State in the opening game, 70-60, and then raced past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 69-57, to claim the championship. In the win over MVSU, Danyiell McKeller led three Panthers in double-figures with 16 points. Crystal Johnson had 15 points and six assists while Jylisa Williams added 13 points, nine steals, eight rebounds and six assists. Then, in the title game win over the Islanders, Brittany Hollins led the way with 14 points and six rebounds, Williams added 13 points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists and Danyiell McKeller had 13 points. Hollins and Johnson were named to the All-Tournament team while Williams was Tournament MVP with her two-day total of 26 points, 14 steals, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
The success did not carry over to last Sunday, however, as the Lady Panthers fell 61-49 to UNC-Wilmington in their CAA opener. State shot just 30.7 percent from the floor, 3-for-17 from 3-point range and 0-for-5 from the free throw line. Hollins led State with 11 points. The Lady Panthers fell to 7-4 with the loss.
IN OTHER NEWS
Senior guard Leonard Mendez is one of 30 national candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to an NCAA Division I student-athlete in nine sports, based on criteria focusing on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. Mendez earned Third-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors last season, becoming the first All-CAA player in Georgia State history as he averaged 16 points per game. He currently ranks 13th on Georgia State’s career scoring list and is averaging 8.5 points per game.
Join us every Sunday afternoon (4-5 p.m.) for the Rod Barnes/Georgia State Basketball coaches show on WGKA-AM 920. The show is broadcast live from The Panthers Den restaurant in the Citizens Trust Bank building, 75 Piedmont Road, on campus. … Follow the Panthers online at www.georgiastatesports.com. For basketball and football ticket information call 1-866-GA-STATE.
Dave Cohen is in his 26th season as the “Voice of Georgia State Basketball and Baseball” on WRAS-FM (88.5) and works on the football radio crew at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
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