WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* Winners of four of its last five games, GSU begins Sun Belt Conference play Wednesday at 6 p.m. at UT Arlington, who was picked second in the league preseason poll.

* The Panthers then move on across Texas to play "next year" on Saturday at Texas State at 3 p.m. ET.

* Both games can be heard live on ESPN The Fan 1340-AM radio.

 GSU HEADS TO TEXAS FOR FIRST TWO CONFERENCE GAMES
 
     Georgia State (5-4) will return to action after a nine-day break to begin Sun Belt Conference play. This will be the GSU Texas Two-Step Trip that will take “two years” to complete as the Panthers play at UT-Arlington on Wednesday, Dec. 30 and then watch the New Year roll in while in Texas and play again on Jan. 2 at Texas State.
    The Panthers have won four of their last five non-conference games now after dropping three of the first four with all the substitutions and changes.
    If one doesn't have time for the long answer, don't ask “what's new” with GSU women's basketball in 2015-16.  Here's a shorthand version:
        •  The roster has 10 new players, nine active now
        •   12 players have started so far this season (only two left, Gerrin and Henry)
        •   9 players have scored in double figures in the 9 games
        •   11 players have averaged 10 or more minutes a game played, another 9.4
        •   No player has started every game
        •   Will the Panthers play with 1, 2, 3 or 4 guards at a time?  Well, yes.
        •   Will the Panthers play with 1, 2, 3 or 4 forwards at a time?  Well, yes.
        •   Will the Panthers play with 1, 2 or 3 point guards at a time? Well, yes.
        •   Will the Panthers substitute five players at a time sometimes? Well, yes.
        •   Will the Panthers play zone, man-to-man, traps, full-court press? Well, yes.
        •   Has the athletic trainer been the busiest staff member? Well, probably yes.

    Georgia State begins Sun Belt play after being picked seventh by league coaches, but did they even really know who was on GSU's roster?  Meanwhile, the first opponent, UT Arlington (5-5) was picked second, by virtue of all five starters returning and nine lettermen from a 17-13 team.

SERIES - UT Arlington has become an early nemesis for Georgia State in this two-year Sun Belt history as the Mavericks have won all four games. UT Arlington got GSU slowed down and won 45-39 on Jan. 15 last year in Arlington and then 57-45 on Jan. 29 in Atlanta. In 2013-14, UT Arlington won 85-72 in Texas and 67-51 in Atlanta.  
    Georgia State shot 23.6 percent in Texas last year (13 of 55 field goals) and then just 32.6 percent in Georgia (14 of 43 shots).

GSU BY THE NUMBERS

   2 -  Number of seniors on roster (Morgan Jackson and Ashlee Cole)
           
   9 -   Number of new players on this year's roster, plus one transfer sitting out the year per NCAA rules.

 10.6 - Steals per game that GSU is averaging this year with 95 in the first 9 games (No. 36 in NCAA).

  12 -  Number of different players to start a game so far this year for GSU.  It could rise if Haley Gerrin, or Kierra Henry earn the assignment from the coach.

  15 -   Number of road games GSU will play this year.

  19.6 - Number of turnovers GSU forces per game (No. 54 in NCAA).

  40 -  This is the 40th year of Georgia State women's basketball.

  70 -  Career 3-point baskets by senior guard Ashlee Cole.

  70.8 - Points per game GSU is averaging after scoring 80 in the last win over Stetson (Dec. 21).

  77.2 - GSU's free throw shooting percentage over the last four games (61 of 79).

  88 -   Career three-point baskets by sophomore guard Makeba Ponder.

  145 - Number of offensive rebounds GSU has this year (16.1 per game) to lead the conference.

  258 - Career wins by head coach Baldwin-Tener.

  400 - Career point total. Makeba Ponder just passed with 420 points to reach that total, while Tatianna Jackson needs 21 more points to hit that plateau.

  500 - Career-point pleateau reached by Ashlee Cole (506).

WHO'S HOT

•  Madison Newby has made 8 of her last 12 field goals over the past three games (66.7%).

•  Alaysia Mitchell has made 14 of her last 21 field goals (66.7%).

•  Makeba Ponder has made at least one 3-point basket in 10 consecutive games and 18 of her last 19 games played.

•  Erica Norwood has made 5 of 7 3-point baskets in 2 games.

•  Madison Newby has 26 assists in last 3 games (8.7 per game).

•  K.K. Williams has made 7 of her last 8 free throw attempts (87.5%) and last 4 in a row.

•  Alaysia Mitchell has made 7 of her last 8 free throws over 4 games (87.5%).  

•  Alaysia Mitchell has 35 rebounds over the past 5 games.

DEFENSE WINS

   Georgia State has a history of pressure defense and ball steals under Coach Baldwin-Tener.
   To start 2015-16, GSU is averaging 10.6 steals per game to rank No. 36 in the NCAA and is forcing 19.6 turnovers to rank No. 54 in the NCAA.  
   GSU's 5 wins of 2015-16 have seen the defense yield 58, 61, 62, 63 and 72 (OT) points.
  The Panthers have run the pattern to 26 wins in the last 31 games when keeping the opposing team below the 60-point line. The first one in 2015-16 was holding Howard to 58 points, but they just missed in three others at the very end.
    That pattern hasn't worked against UT Arlington, however, as GSU held the Mavericks to 45 and 57 points, only to lose.
    GSU has 23 steals from Astaja Tyghter, 17 thefts from Makeba Ponder and 15 steals from Madison Newby in the first nine games of 2015-16.