GSU PlAYS HOST TO SOUTH ALABAMA IN SATURDAY NOON GAME
 
    Georgia State (6-6, 1-2) will seek to get back above .500 overall and back to .500 in the Sun Belt Conference when it plays host to South Alabama (4-8, 0-3) in a doubleheader with the men's teams. Tip is at Noon ET.

    The Panthers' four-game win streak was snapped last Saturday at Texas State and then GSU dropped a 97-90 race on Thursday with Troy in Atlanta. 

    GSU is still yet to have all 14 players on the roster active this season with starter Tatianna Jackson missing a fifth-straight game with her ankle injury. Leading scorer Makeba returned Thursday after a two-game absence and played 20 minutes off the bench.

    Up-tempo GSU is No. 2 in the Sun Belt in scoring, No. 68 NCAA (72.2 ppg), No. 1 in offensive rebounding, No. 25 NCAA (16.2), No. 2 in steals, No. 28 NCAA (10.7), No. 5 in assists (12.5) and No. 5 in shooting (40.3%). The room for improvement stat that coach keeps preaching is free throw shooting where the team is shooting just 64.7 percent.

    The return to the starting line-up of Makeba Ponder will be a welcome addition as the sophomore is No. 9 in the Sun Belt in scoring (13.1), tied for No. 1 in 3-point baskets made per game (2.4), No. 5 in free throw percentage (77.8%) and No. 15 in steals (1.7). 

   Giving GSU optimism that the season will continue to improve is the play of the freshmen and the merging of the transfers into a more-solid team.  

    Freshman PG Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt in assists (4.8), is No.. 4 in field goal percentage (57.8%), is No. 11 in steals (23, 1.9) and has her scoring average up to 9.7 points per game with six double-figure games. Her 20 points Thursday was a season best. Freshman forward Astaja Tyghter is averaging in double figures (10.2, No. 19 SBC), is up to 5.8 rebounds per game (No. 12 SBC) and is No. 4 in the Sun Belt in steals (30, 2.5). Junior transfer forward Alaysia Mitchell leads the Panthers in rebounds (6.2), had a double-double Thursday and has six double-figure scoring games to average 9.8 ppg. Junior guard Erica Norwood, who became eligible at semester break, has added eight points a game and 7 3-pointers in her five games. The return of junior transfer Tatianna Jackson will also be a welcome veteran addition.

SOUTH ALABAMA

   Georgia State has won three of the four games in this series over two years as Sun Belt members, including the last three in a row since South Alabama won the first Sun Belt meeting in Mobile on Jan. 4, 2014.

    All-time, Georgia State owns a 5-2 series lead over South Alabama, including a perfect 3-0 record in the GSU Sports Arena. GSU has won the two Sun Belt meetings in Atlanta in 2014 (63-55) and 2015 (69-54).

     South Alabama is No. 42 in the NCAA in points allowed (55.9) and No. 7 in most blocked shots per game (6.1). Chyna Ellis leads the Sun Belt and is No. 29 NCAA (2.50).

ATLANTA HOMECOMING

    Four members of the South Alabama team should have their own cheering sections in Saturday's game. The Jaguars top two scorers came from Atlanta.

     Marquita Daniels, a 5-foot-7 sophomore, is averaging double figures. She played at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a Class A private school only 10 miles from the GSU Sports Arena.

     Genesis Perrymond, a 5-8 redshirt freshman, is now second on the Jaguars in scoring and vying for the team lead in assists. She played at Parkview High School in Lilburn in Gwinnett County. Born in Decatur, she grew up in Lawrenceville.

     Candice Williams, a 5-foot-6 redshirt freshman, hails from the northern suburb of Alpharetta, Ga. and played at Class A private school St. Francis.

     D'Andra Pringle is a 5-foot-10 freshman who played at Mountain View High School north of Lawrenceville near the Mall of Georgia.

     Georgia State has nine active Georgians playing Saturday, including seven from the metro Atlanta area.

WHO'S HOT

•  Madison Newby has made 22 of her last 37 field goals over the past 6 games (59.5%).

•  Alaysia Mitchell has made 23 of her last 40 field goals (57.5%).

•  Makeba Ponder has made at least one 3-point basket in 11 consecutive games and 19 of her last 20 games played. Ponder has scored 54 points in last 3 games (18.0 ppg).

•  Astaja Tyghter has scored 56 points in the last 4 games (14.0)

•  Madison Newby has 39 assists in last 6 games (6.5 per game).

•  K.K. Williams has made 7 of her last 9 free throw attempts (77.8%).

•  Alaysia Mitchell has made 11 of her last 13 free throws over 6 games (84.6%).  

•  Morgan Jackson has made 8 of 9 free throws this year (88.9) and Erica Norwood has made 7 of her 8 attempts (87.5)

GSU BY THE NUMBERS

 10.7 - Steals per game that GSU is averaging this year with 128 in the 12 games (No. 28 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.

  16.2 - Number of offensive rebounds the Panthers are averaging this year to lead the Sun Belt.

  19.4 - Number of turnovers GSU forces per game (No.58 in NCAA).

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

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

  72.2 - Points per game GSU is averaging after scoring 90 on Thursday for the same 90-game of season. GSU is No. 68 in the NCAA in scoring.

  92 -   Career 3-point baskets by sophomore guard Makeba Ponder.

  194 - Number of offensive rebounds GSU has this year (16.2 per game) to lead the conference.

  500 - Career games as head coach for Baldwin-Tener.