Georgia State took to the hardcourt against CAA conference foe UNC-Wilmington Thursday night in “The Barefoot Game” supporting the Samaritan’s Feet organization. GSU Coach Ron Hunter went shoeless in support, and the Panthers had plenty of motivation from a season-high crowd. The Panthers crammed 2,698 into the Sports Arena to support the squad. Despite what the final score of 75-61 may say, the Panthers were played tough by the Seahawks, and the game was a back-and-forth affair until Georgia State took the lead for good at 48-46 midway through the second half on a pair of James Fields free throws. The victory was a nice bounce-back performance after the team’s tough road loss to George Mason on Jan. 7.
Fields had a career day, scoring 21 points with 16 coming in the second half, and he was a force on defense with seven steals. His second half performance on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor helped the Panthers build their lead and finish with a comfortable 14-point margin of victory. Three other Panthers added double-digit scoring nights as standout guards Jihad Ali and Devonta White each scored 13 while center Eric Buckner put up 11 points. Buckner filled up the stat sheet adding six rebounds and five blocked shots to his 11 points. Led by Fields, Ali, White, and Buckner, the Panthers found their rhythm in the second half, scoring 48 points after being limited to 27 in the first half. They struggled shooting in the first half (38 percent), but after being challenged by Ron Hunter at halftime the Panthers came out hot shooting 58 percent in the second half.
The Panthers victory improved their record to 12-4 on the season and 4-1 in CAA play. They moved into a three-way tie for first place in conference with Old Dominion and George Mason after the Patriots lost to Drexel. For the first time since 2001, the Panthers look to be positioning themselves for a possible conference title and a shot at the NCAA tournament. Ron Hunter’s presence on the bench has brought an energy and excitement to the team that had previously been lacking under Rod Barnes. The Panthers will return to action tomorrow night at the Sports Arena as they will welcome the Towson Tigers to town and look to continue their winning ways. Georgia State weathered their most difficult stretch of the schedule that included road games at VCU and George Mason. Their toughest games remaining are at home, where the Panthers are undefeated, against VCU Jan. 28 and Old Dominion Feb. 22. Those games and the CAA tournament should decide Georgia State’s NCAA tournament fate.
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