PANTHERS TRAVEL TO ALABAMA FOR PAIR OF GAMES
Georgia State (9-12, 4-8) heads “next door” to Alabama for a Thursday night game at South Alabama and a Saturday afternoon game at Troy as the Sun Belt schedule is down to eight games as the 11 teams battle for the eight tournament spots.
GSU has rallied to win two of its last five games (win at App. State and over Texas State) but sits tied for ninth and out of the tournament at this point. Listen live on 1340 The Fan 3 and 1230-AM Radio at 6 p.m. ET.
South Alabama won in Atlanta on Jan. 9 and has won 5-of-9 games since then to escape the cellar and rise to a tie for fifth-place. In that game, USA slowed down GSU to win 60-52 in a contest with nine lead changes and six ties. It was a two-point game with five minutes to play.
The Sun Belt has just four of the 11 teams at .500 or better, meaning seven teams are fighting for the other four seeds. Following a 6-6 team, four teams have seven losses (USA,Troy, Texas State, App. State), two have eight (GSU, Ga. Southern) and one has nine (UL Monroe).
GSU had been pretty much in “survival mode” in mid-season, suffering through a short-handed roster missing five players and dressing only nine. Four Panther players returned last Thursday to help GSU in the win over Texas State.
The storyline for Georgia State this season had been WHO can play, more so than HOW they're actually playing. Three starters have missed a combined 22 games and the top two scorers both had been out the previous four games. Three key back-ups had missed a combined 23 more games.
So, with all that shuffling, GSU has 12 players averaging 9.6 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. It was “the Survival of the Fittest.” Basically, only one player on the roster (Newby) has played more than half the possible total minutes a player could play in the 21 total games (420 minutes of the 840 possible minutes).
Georgia State has two players leading the Sun Belt with Madison Newby making 103 assists (4.9 per game) and Makeba Ponder making 2.3 3-pointers per game. Morgan Jackson is a deadeye shooter from the free throw line (93.8%) but has shot just 16 times with a streak of 13 consecutive makes.
THIS SUN BELT SERIES
Georgia State has won three of the five games in this series over three years as Sun Belt members, including three in a row after South Alabama won the first Sun Belt meeting in Mobile on Jan. 4, 2014. Then, South Alabama responded this year with a 60-52 win in Atlanta on Jan. 9.
All-time, Georgia State owns a 5-3 series lead over South Alabama, including a 3-1 record in the GSU Sports Arena. GSU is 1-2 in Mobile. The Panthers won 84-78 on Feb. 7, 2015 by shooting 57% for the game with Makeba Ponder scoring 19 points with 4-of-6 3-point baskets. Marquita Daniels, from Atlanta, set a Mitchell Arena mark with 37 points (13-of-18).
SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS BY THE NUMBERS
• Defense is South Alabama's key. The Jaguars are 1st in the Sun Belt, No. 27 NCAA, in field goal percentage allowed (35.5%), 3-point percentage allowed (28.4%, No. 63 NCAA) and blocked shots (127, 6.0, No. 7 NCAA).
• The Jaguars allow just 58.8 points per game (No. 70 NCAA) and have held nine teams to 55 or fewer points this year. GSU was one of those in the 60-52 South Alabama win in Atlanta on Jan. 9.
• Sophomore Chyna Ellis leads the Sun Belt and is No. 21 in the NCAA with 60 blocks, 2.9 per game. The 6-foot-2 Memphis-area native was dominant in Atlanta with 18 points, 12 rebounds and five rejections.
• In the first game, South Alabama held GSU to 29.3% from the field (17 of 58), to 18.2% from 3-point range (2 of 11) and rejected 10 Panther shots. South Alabama has three games with 10 blocked shots this year.
WHO'S HOT FOR GEORGIA STATE
• Haley Gerrin's last 5 games have seen her score 52 points (10.4 per game) with 32 rebounds (6.4 per game). She's hit 18 of her 35 shots (51%) and 16 of her 24 free throws (67%) in those five.
• Morgan Jackson has missed only one free throw all year (15 of 16, 93.8%). Her only miss was on Nov. 28 vs. Howard and she has made 13 straight now. For her career, Jackson shoots 86.8%.
• Tatianna Jackson scored 11 points Saturday and has 18 points in her first two games back (50 minutes)after missing more than six weeks. She hit 4-of-9 3-points in those two games. Tatianna Jackson has missed only two free throws all year (15 of 17, .882).
• Makeba Ponder has made at least one 3-point basket in 16 consecutive games and 24 of her last 25 games played in. Ponder has scored 120 points in last 8 games she played (15.0 ppg). She has made 21 of her last 24 free throws (87.5%) over the past 8 games she's played.
• Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt in assists (103, 4.9). She's had 3 or more assists in 10 of the last 11 games.
• Kennesha Nichols has hit 23 of her last 42 field goals (54.8%).
GSU BY THE NUMBERS
9.2 - Steals per game that GSU is averaging this year with 193 in the 21 games (No. 71 NCAA).
13 - Number of different players to start a game so far this year for GSU. Only freshman Kierra Henry hasn't drawn a starting assignment from the coach.
14.8 - Number of offensive rebounds the Panthers are averaging this year to rank No. 3 in Sun Belt.
17.0 - Number of turnovers GSU forces per game (No.139 in NCAA).
63 - PG Madison Newby's ranks No. 63 in the NCAA in assists per game (4.9)
65.4 - Points per game GSU is averaging after scoring 90 twice this season. GSU is No. 140 in the NCAA in scoring.
72 - Career 3-point baskets by senior guard Ashlee Cole.
103 - Career 3-point baskets by sophomore guard Makeba Ponder.
311 - Number of offensive rebounds GSU has this year (14.8 per game) to rank third in the conference.
262 - Career wins by head coach Baldwin-Tener.
400 - Tatianna Jackson needs 4 points for her 400th.
514 - Career point total. Sophomore Makeba Ponder upped her total to 514 after just 43 games.
