Georgia State (22-11) hosted Tennessee Tech (19-14) in the first round of the College Insider Tournament, and the Panthers dominated the Golden Eagles 74-43. The Panthers backcourt duo of James Fields and Devonta White led the team on offense. White scored a game-high 24 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Fields added 17 points, seven rebounds and five steals. The Panthers were in control of the game from the tip and dominated on both ends of the floor.
Defensively the Panthers were able to frustrate the Golden Eagles’ ball-handlers in their full-court press, getting 10 steals. In the half-court the Panthers forced the Golden Eagles into difficult, contested shots resulting in Tennessee Tech shooting only 28.3 percent from the field. The Panthers’ matchup zone caused problems for the Golden Eagles all night as they struggled to penetrate the Panther defense, and if they did get the ball inside, senior center Eric Buckner was a deterrent at the rim with three blocks.
The Panthers’ defensive performance, especially in the press, allowed State to get a number of easy transition buckets in the first half. Georgia State shot an impressive 52.7 percent from the field. The Panthers were especially successful in the first half, shooting 62.5 percent from three-point range, and they held a commanding 42-21 halftime advantage. The Panthers slowed down the pace in the second half as their shooters cooled off, but the damage had been done early.
Georgia State will take on Mercer (23-11) in Macon Saturday at 4 p.m. in the second round. The Bears defeated Tennessee State 68-60 in the first round. The Panthers will look to carry the momentum from the first round over and ride it to victory over the Bears.
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