What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State will return home to face Texas State on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in the GSU Sports Arena.
* After reaching a capacity crowd for the last home game, Panther fans are encouraged to wear blue for a 'blue-out' on Thursday night.
* Georgia State has a 9-1 record at home this year and is 34-2 in the GSU Sports Arena since the start of the 2013-14 season.
ATLANTA-Following a three-game road trip, Georgia State will return home to face Texas State on Thursday night in the GSU Sports Arena at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers will look to snap a three-game losing streak as fans are encouraged to show their Panther pride wearing blue for the ‘Blue-Out’.
Georgia State (12-7, 5-5 Sun Belt) has dropped three-straight tough games first the first time in more than two years, but return home where they are 9-1 this season. The Panthers are currently in sixth-place in the league, but remain just a one-game out of third-place in the tight standings. The 12-7 mark is tied for the fifth-best 19-game start in program history and matches the team’s record thru the same number of games from last year.
Thursday’s contest can be heard live on 1340 The Fan 3 and WRAS-FM 88.5 with Dave Cohen, now in his 33rd year as the Voice of the Panthers, being joined by former Panther Rodney “Truck” Turner and 680 The Fan’s Brandon Leak. The game will also appear on ESPN3 with Sam Crenshaw and former Panther Jihad Ali calling the action. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.
Georgia State is coming off a tough 63-53 loss to first-place Little Rock on Saturday as senior Kevin Ware scored a team-high 17 points. Freshman Malik Benlevi finished with the first double-digit performance of his career, scoring 10 points after knocking down his first four shots.
“We have had a really good week of practice and our guys are hungry to get back out onto the court,” head coach Ron Hunter said. “The best thing that can happen to a team after a few tough games is to come home where we know there will be great energy in the building. Our fans gives us an unbelievable home court advantage and we look forward to that on Thursday.”
Hunter enters play Saturday with a 99-54 record at Georgia State and can become just the third coach in program history to record 100 wins. Hunter owns three of the six single-season best win totals in school history.
Despite the loss the last time out, the Panthers are 37-11 mark in conference games since their return to the Sun Belt. Georgia State is 59-20 in their last 79 games dating back to Dec. 14, 2013 and has won 18-of-26 games dating back to last season.
Georgia State has built its winning this year with defense. The Panthers are allowing opponents to score just 63.5 points per game, second in the Sun Belt and No. 17 in the country. Teams are shooting just 39.9 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from 3-point range against the Panthers this year.
On the other end, Georgia State has turned the ball over just 231 times, 29th-fewest in the country, while forcing 271.
The Panthers are led by redshirt-junior Jeremy Hollowell who is averaging 14.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and senior Kevin Ware, scoring 13.3 points and adding 4.0 rebounds per contest.
Senior Markus Crider played in his 118th career game Saturday and stands tied for sixth on the all-time Georgia State list. He is averaging 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is one of four Panthers shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor.
Isaiah Williams returned to the starting line-up last game and stands second on the team with 48 assists. Senior T.J. Shipes rounds out the starting line-up and has pulled down 36 rebounds in the last three games.
Texas State (9-9, 3-6 Sun Belt) continues to be led by Emani Gant who is averaging 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Earlier this year, the Panthers earned a 58-46 win over Texas State in San Marcos. After a strong start to conference play, the Bobcats have dropped four of their last five games.
Following Thursday’s game, Georgia State remain at home and face UT Arlington Saturday at 2 p.m. live on ESPN3.
Quick Notes:
• Georgia State starts the second-half of the Sun Belt schedule hosting Texas State.
• Georgia State earned a 58-46 win over the Bobcats on Jan. 2, as Jeremy Hollowell scored a team-high 18 points.
• Head coach Ron Hunter will look to become just the third head coach in program history to win 100 games at Georgia State.
• Georgia State is 34-2 in the comfy confines of the GSU Sports Arena since the start of the 2013-14 season.
• Georgia State’s 12-7 start is tied for the fifth-best start in program history.
• Ironically, the Panthers started last season 12-7 that ended with 25 wins and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
• At 5-5 in the Sun Belt, the Panthers enter play Thursday in sixth place, but just one game out of third place.
• Last time out, Georgia State fell 63-53 to first place Little Rock.
• Since returning to the league, GSU is 37-11 in Sun Belt regular season games, going 17-1 (2013-14), 15-5 (2014-15) and 5-5 (2015-16).
• Georgia State’s 7-2 non-conference record is the third-best in program history.
• Defensively, GSU is giving up just 63.5 points per game, No. 17 in the NCAA.
• GSU turned the ball over only 231 times this season, No. 329in the NCAA.
• 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 59-20 (.746) since Dec. 14, 2013.
• 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 77 wins, just 11 shy of the school-record set just last year by Ryann Green.
