Women's Basketball 1/27/2016 8:22:00 AM Charlie Taylor/Sports Communications

Short-Handed Panthers Off For 2 Games in Arkansas

SHORT-HANDED PANTHERS TRAVEL TO FIRST-PLACE ARKANSAS STATE

Georgia State (8-9, 3-5) will make the five-day trip to Arkansas and start with league-leading Arkansas State on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT).

Arkansas State is No. 10/13 in Mid-Major polls by ESPN and CollegeInsider.com and unbeaten in the Sun Belt this year. The Red Wolves have won 18 straight at home in Jonesboro for the seventh-longest streak in the NCAA. Their NCAA.com RPI is 55.

GSU is pretty much in “survival mode” in mid-season, waiting to get the roster closer to full strength for a February-March push as the Panthers play through the pain.

The storyline for Georgia State has been WHO can actually get on the court and play, more so than HOW they're actually playing. Perhaps the key is knowing the depth of the roster will be stronger at the end.

GSU's roster storyline includes:

• Have yet to have all 14 players on the roster active at the same time this season and
only six players have even played in all 17 games, with none starting all 17.

• Leading scorer and starter Makeba Ponder has missed four of the last eight games
and won't make this trip to Arkansas to grow that to six of the last 10 games.

• Second-leading scorer and starter Astaja Tyghter has missed the last two games and
won't make this trip to Arkansas to grow that to four straight.

• Starting wing Tatianna Jackson has missed the last 10 games with her injury and
won't be able to make this trip to Arkansas to grow that to 12 games.

    • Forward Haley Gerrin missed the first four games with multiple injuries and played
           less than 10 minutes in five other games. She got through 19 minutes Thursday at
           Appalachaian State and scored 20 points in that win.

• Junior Erica Norwood missed the first seven games due to NCAA transfer rules,
then sprained an ankle on her return to slow her progress. Her status is doubtful.

. • Guard Kierra Henry has missed the last five games with her injury and is still out.

• GSU starts a pure freshman PG, Madison Newby, who leads the Sun Belt in assists
89, 5.2,No. 44 NCAA), but with that comes 80 turnovers to lead the league.

So, with all that shuffling, GSU has 12 players averaging 10 or more minutes played this season, with 13 players getting a start. The points have come from anywhere with 10 players having scored in double figures.

The "good news" is that the team is on a one-game winning streak, coming off a road win at Appalachian State and those that are competing have bonded together to develop a good chemistry.

It is “the Survival of the Fittest” right now for the Panthers as they wait for time to heal, but the confidence level is high and the attitude is a winning one.

ARKANSAS STATE's IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS

    Check out the Red Wolves 2015-16 numbers:
   • 14-3 overall, seven straight wins overall since Dec. 21
   • 8-0 to lead Sun Belt, winning by 27, 23, 23, 20, 15, 13, 13, 7
   • Won 18 straight at home, 7th longest streak in NCAA
   • Ranked No. 10/13 mid-major polls; No. 55 NCAA RPI
   • Have 5 seniors (3 who are redshirts), 3 juniors
   • Have two-time SBC Player of Year, Aundrea Gamble with 17.8 ppg, 4.6 assists.
   • Khadija Brown-Haywood is averaging almost a double-double for the season (16.6/9.3). The senior leads the SBC in rebounds.
   • No. 55 NCAA.com RPI, with losses to No. 32 Florida (by four points), No. 67 Chattanooga (by one point) and No. 59 Nebraska (by eight points).
   • Offensive-minded team (high of 101 vs. Troy) that has scored less than 66 only twice (62 and 54) in the 17 games.
   • All 5 starters have started all 17 games for consistency, the exact opposite of GSU.

WHO'S HOT

• Haley Gerrin scored 20 points in 19 minutes Thursday at App. State with 6-of-9 FG and 8-of-9 FT. That followed a 4-of-7 game vs. Georgia Southern, making her 10 of her last 16 shots.

• Madison Newby has 71 assists in last 11 games (6.5 per game).

• Kennesha Nichols has made 18 of 32 field goals 56%) with 36 points (6.0) and 26 rebounds (4.3) over last 6 games.

• Madison Newby shot 4 of 6 Thursday to improve to 56% on the season . She has scored in double figures in 6 of the last 8 games.

• Morgan Jackson has made 10 of 11 free throws this year (90.9) and Erica Norwood has made 7 of her 8 attempts (87.5).

• Morgan Jackson scored 17 points Thursday in the win at Appalachian State with 3-of-4 3-point baskets in that win.

• Alaysia Mitchell has scored in double figures in four of the last six games with eight rebounds in each of the last two games.

THE SERIES

Georgia State won the first game of this new series on Jan. 14, 2014 with a 76-74 upset of the Red Wolves in Jonesboro and then Arkansas State prevailed with an 80-75 win in Atlanta on Feb. 8, 2014.

Arkansas State swept the 13-17 Panthers last year by 76-65 in Jonesboro on Jan. 19 and the re-match in Atlanta on Jan. 31 by a 61-47 margin. This will mark the third straight year the first game is played in Jonesboro and the second game in Atlanta.

Aundrea Gamble scored 21 points in Jonesboro and 22 in Atlanta in playing all 40 minutes of both games. Khadija BrownHaywood scored 18 points in 34 minutes in Jonesboro and 7 in 27 minutes in Atlanta. Makeba Ponder scored 15 in her first game in Jonesboro, but did not play in the game in Atlanta.

BY THE NUMBERS

   2 - Number of seniors on roster (Morgan Jackson and Ashlee Cole)

9.9 - Steals per game that GSU is averaging this year with 169 in the 17 games (No. 99 NCAA).

13 - Number of different players to start a game so far this year for GSU. Only freshman Kierra Henry (injured) hasn't drawn a starting assignment from the coach.

15.1 - Number of offensive rebounds the Panthers are averaging this year to rank No. 3 in Sun Belt.

18.0 - Number of turnovers GSU forces per game (No. 89 in NCAA).

44 - PG Madison Newby's rank No. 44 in the NCAA in assists per game.

68.8 - Points per game GSU is averaging after scoring 90 twice this season. GSU is No. 98 in the NCAA in scoring.

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

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

256 - Number of offensive rebounds GSU has this year (15.1 per game) to rank third in the conference.

261 - Career wins by head coach Baldwin-Tener.

500 - Career point total. Makeba Ponder has 490 points in her 41-game career. The sophomore needs 10 more to hit the 500-plateau.