THE RIVALRY SERIES: GEORGIA STATE vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Georgia State (7-8, 2-4) will battle Georgia Southern (4-11, 1-5) in the first of the two Sun Belt Conference season meetings. The winner also picks up a point in the newly-created Rivlary Series for the best overall athletics program. Georgia State leads 5-2.
Tipoff is at 5 p.m. to start the Doubleheader with the men to follow at 7:30 p.m. The evening has been marketed as "Black Out' with Panther fans asked to wear black to this game, not blue. The game will be seen, as always, on ESPN3 from the Sports Arena. The GSU Radio Network, with 1340 The Fan 3 and 1230-AM will carry from pre-game through post-game live.
These two teams split last year, with each team winning on the road. Coming to Atlanta is always nice for the Eagles as they have five players from metro Atlanta whose family and friends can attend this game.
Up-tempo GSU is No. 3 in the Sun Belt in scoring (69.3 ppg) and No. 4 in assists (12.3). Defensively, the Panthers look for the steal (10.2, No. 2 Sun Belt) and crash the boards for rebounds (39.9, No. 3 SBC, No. 2 offensive rebounds with 15.3).
The Eagles have looked to shoot the 3-point shot (317 attempts, No. 3 SBC, 94 made, No. 3 SBC). Georgia Southern leads the Sun Belt in free throw percentage (72.3%).
GSU is still yet to have all 14 players on the roster active at the same time this season with starter Tatianna Jackson missing a seventh-straight game with her ankle injury and Kierra Henry joining her in rehabilitation two weeks ago. Leading scorer Makeba finally returned to action Jan. 7 after a two-game absence. And, Haley Gerrin missed the first four games before working back into play, while Erica Norwood wasn't NCAA-transfer eligible the first semster of play in November and December.
The room for major improvement stat that Panther coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener keeps preaching is free throw shooting where the team is shooting just 63.5 percent. This is one year after GSU was No. 2 in the Sun Belt at 72.3, almost a 10 percent dropoff.
Sophomore preseason All-Sun Belt guard Makeba Ponder again leads the Sun Belt in 3-point baskets made per game (2.3, 30 in her 13 games played) and is No. 9 in the Sun Belt in scoring (13.3). Ponder is averaging 16.0 points per game over her last 6 games. Ponder is also tied for No. 7 in the SBC in steals (2.0 per game).
Freshman PG Madison Newby is No. 2 in the Sun Belt in assists (73, 4.9) and No. 3 in field goal percentage (56.1% on 46 of 82 shots).
THIS SERIES
Georgia State and Georgia Southern split the two games in their first year of Sun Belt Conference competition, oddly enough with each team winning in a romp on the other team's home court.
In Statesboro on Feb. 5, visiting Georgia State opened a 41-24 halftime lead and coasted home 82-54 in a 28-point win. The Panthers started that game on a 22-4 run in seven minutes, making four 3-point baskets. They finished 9-of-20 on 3-point shots on the evening.
In Atlanta on March 7, the visiting Eagles claimed an 82-74 win. Southern built a 41-25 halftime lead as the Eagles made 12-of-21 3-point baskets. GSU did outscore Southern in the second half, 49-41, and got the lead down to seven.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN LIKES THE 3
The Eagles have shown a penchant for taking the 3-point shot this year. They have fired up 317 treys (21.1 per game) and made 94 (6.3 per game). Angel McGowan has made 24 this year, Alexis Sams has made 22 more.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN'S NUMBERS
The Eagles are No. 47 in the NCAA in fewest fouls committed, No. 48 in fewest turnovers made and No. 68 in free throw percentage made.
Georgia Southern has struggled to do the most important thing: put the ball into the basket. The Eagles average just 51.6 points per game to rank No. 338 in the NCAA. On defense, they haven't been able to make the takeaways, sitting No. 11 in the Sun Belt in steals per game (6.3).
In the six Sun Belt games this year, Georgia Southern has scored 39, 43, 44, 49, 52 and 54. Of course, they haven't gotten into the up-tempo teams like Troy and Georgia State that really push the action and increase the scoring.
WHO'S HOT
• Makeba Ponder has made at least one 3-point basket in 14 consecutive games and 22 of her last 23 games played. Ponder has scored 96 points in last 6 games (16.0 ppg).
• Madison Newby has 55 assists in last 9 games (6.1 per game).
• Kennesha Nichols has made 16 of 25 field goals (64%) with 32 points (6.4) and 22 rebounds (4.4) over last 5 games.
• Astaja Tyghter has scored 79 points in the last 7 games (11.3)
• Madison Newby went 9 of 14 (64.3) last week from the field to up her season FG average to 56.1%, No. 3 in the Sun Belt. She has scored in double figures in five of the last six games.
• 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).
• While Coach Baldwin-Tener picked up career win No. 260 Thursday, she's still “hot” as in “under the collar” with the team's free throw shooting.
NOT FOR LONG
If Madison Newby has the ball, it probably won't be for long. The SBC leader has 73 assists with games of 12, 9, 9 two with 6 and three with 5.
When she heads down the lane, should she not make the pass for a basket, she puts it in herself at a 56% rate (46 of 82).
DEFENSE WINS
Georgia State has a history of pressure defense and ball steals under Coach Baldwin-Tener.
In 2015-16, GSU is averaging 10.2 steals per game to rank No. 36 in the NCAA and is forcing 18.5 turnovers to rank No. 60 in the NCAA.
GSU's 7 wins of 2015-16 have seen the defense yield 52, 58, 61, 62, 63, 63 and 72 (OT) points. The team allowed 60 points in the loss to South Alabama.
The Panthers have run the pattern to 27 wins in the last 32 games when keeping the opposing team below the 60-point line. The first one in 2015-16 was holding Howard to 58 points and then 52 vs. ULM.
GSU has 32 steals from Astaja Tyghter, 26 thefts from Makeba Ponder and 25 steals from Madison Newby.
