What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State will close out the road portion of the non-conference schedule at Southern Miss on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
* Redshirt-freshman Jeff Thomas has scored 30 points in the last two games, knocking down 10-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-10 from 3-point range.
* Georgia State is 52-15 in their last 67 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2013 and have won 11-of-14 games dating back to last season.
ATLANTA-Georgia State will look to build on its modest two-game winning streak facing its third Conference USA opponent this month when the Panthers travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face Southern Miss on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET in Reed Green Coliseum.
Georgia State (5-2) has matched its start to last season when the Panthers won 25 games, tied for the second-most in school history and the best under head coach Ron Hunter. This will mark the final game of a four-game home and home series with Southern Miss (2-6) which has won two-straight after dropping its first six games of the season.
Saturday’s contest can be heard live on 1340 The Fan 3 with 680 The Fan’s Brandon Leak calling the action. The game will also appear on the American Sports Network Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.
Following a solid win over Old Dominion last Saturday, 68-64, Georgia State’s offense appears to be clicking as four Panthers finished in double figures, led by a career-high 18 points from redshirt-freshman Jeff Thomas.
“With so many new guys in the line-up, we knew it would take a little bit of time for everyone to find their rhythm on the court,” Hunter said. “We have seen a lot of positive signs over the last couple of weeks. Guys like Jeff Thomas and Markus Crider are starting to get into midseason form and that will be key for our offense to click like we want it to.
“Southern Miss offers us another solid Conference USA test. Road games are always difficult, but we have had another good week of practice while finishing up final exams and are ready to get back onto the court.”
Georgia State is 52-15 in their last 67 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2013 and have won 11-of-14 games dating back to last season.
The Panthers are led by redshirt-junior Jeremy Hollowell who is averaging 16.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and senior Kevin Ware, scoring 12.4 points and adding 4.0 rebounds per contest.
Thomas has scored 30 points in the last two games after contributing just 15 in the first five. In those two games, he is 10-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-10 from 3-point range after taking a redshirt last season.
Crider has been nearly has hot, averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last two games while going perfect at the free throw line. Crider has played in 106 career games entering Saturday and could easily break the school record of 126 by Jihad Ali by the end of the year.
Thru seven games, Georgia State’s defense is holding opponents to just 60.9 points per game, ranked No. 19 in the NCAA. Opponents are shooting just 40.1 percent, which ranks No. 81, while forcing 14.3 turnovers per contest.
Hunter, in his fifth year with the Panthers, has won 92 games and could eclipse Bob Reinhart’s school-record of 107 career wins by the end of the year. Hunter owns three of the six single-season best win totals in school history.
Georgia State currently has more wins in the state of Georgia than any other Division 1 program since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Panthers have won 55 games, while Mercer (54), Georgia (45), Georgia Southern (40) and Georgia Tech (35) round out the top five.
Southern Miss is led by Khari Price and Kourtlin Jackson each averaging 10.0 points per game. The Golden Eagles are shooting just 37.1 percent from the floor, but averaging more than eight 3-pointers per game.
Following Saturday’s game, Georgia State will close out the non-conference portion of the schedule hosting Middle Tennessee on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the GSU Sports Arena. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Ron Hunter bobblehead.
Quick Notes:
• Georgia State and Southern Miss conclude a four-game home-and-home in the Panthers only game of the week.
• GSU will face a Conference USA opponent for the third time this year and second-straight against a C-USA school.
• Georgia State is 5-4 against Conference USA schools in the last two-plus seasons, including a 1-1 record this year.
• Georgia State is 5-2 to start the season, tied for the best seven-game start in head coach Ron Hunter’s five seasons.
• Georgia State was one of just 20 programs in the country to have won 25 or more games in each of the last two seasons.
• Georgia State is 52-15 (.776) since Dec. 14, 2013.
• Last time out, Georgia State earned a 68-64 win over former conference foe Old Dominion, the Panthers second-straight win.
• Redshirt-freshman Jeff Thomas is heating up. He has scored 30 points in the last two games making 10-of-18 FGs and 6-of-10 from 3-pt range.
• Markus Crider is averaging just under a double-double in the last two games, scoring 11.5 ppg and grabbing 7.5 boards per contest.
• Georgia State, the two-time defending Sun Belt champions, was selected to finish second this year in the conference preseason poll.
• Markus Crider and T.J. Shipes have been a part of 70 wins, just 17 shy of the school-record set just last year by Ryann Green.
• Following Saturday’s game, GSU will close out the non-conference portion of the schedule at home with Middle Tennessee on Tuesday.
