THE BATTLE FOR “THE FINAL ONE”CONTINUES ON SENIOR DAY
Georgia State (10-16, 5-12) plays host to its final home game and Senior Day vs. Appalachian State in the battle for the one remaining Sun Belt Tournament seed.
Georgia State, in ninth place, meets the team in eighth place (Appalachian State, 9-17, 6-11) on Saturday in Atlanta at Noon. Listen live on the GSU radio network (1340 The Fan 3 and 1230-AM) or watch live on ESPN3.
The Mountaineers are Georgia State's roadblock to the tournament, sitting one game ahead of GSU. The Panthers won the first game in Boone, so a win could provide a potential tie-breaker if the teams end deadlocked. GSU's season ends with two games in Louisiana, with third-place UL Lafayette and 10th place UL Monroe (10-16, 4-13). GSU also owns a win over ULM this year for a possible tie-breaking scenario.
Appalachian State faces a tough task in its final week, battling the top two teams (Arkansas State, 23-3, 17-0, and Little Rock, 15-11, 13-4) in its final week of the season in Boone. ASU is on a 17-game win streak and Little Rock a 10-game win streak.
Georgia State's Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt with 135 assists (5.2 per game).Makeba Ponder is tied for the lead in 3-point baskets made per game (2.2, 43 in 20 games). Ponder is No. 4 in FT percentage (80.4%). 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. Forward Alaysia Mitchell plays a key role with her 71 offensive rebounds (fourth most in Sun Belt) and 5.5 season average. The Panthers' defense averages 9.1 thefts per game, third most in the Sun Belt, with Newby leading with 44 and Astaja Tyghter with 41 in four less games. Tyghter averages 9.3 ppg after two games of 13 points and a 21-point game on Monday in her past four games. Unsung forward Haley Gerrin has come on to average 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds over the past nine games. The up-tempo Panthers average 64 points per game.
SOME APPALACHIAN STATE NUMBERS
• Appalachian State plays tough and gets to the free throw line second most in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have shot 546 free throws and made 364 of them.
• Appalachian State ranks No. 2 in the Sun Belt in blocked shots (109, 4.2 per game) and rebounding (40.6 per game). They're also tied with GSU for No. 2 in offensive rebounds (14.6).
• Appalachian State ranks No. 3 in the Sun Belt in scoring at 65.9 points per game.
• Appalachian State is 3-9 on the road this season, coming off a win Thursday at Georgia Southern (68-62). The Mountaineers also won road games at Troy and at UL Monroe.
• Appalachian State has a pair of Atlantans playing Saturday. Second-leading scorer Joi Jones (11.7) played at Duluth High Schoo, while second-leading rebounder Mia Marshall played at Parkview High School in Lilburn.
WHO'S HOT FOR GEORGIA STATE
• Haley Gerrin's last 10 games have seen her score 88 points (8.8 per game) with 50 rebounds (5.0 per game). She's hit 33 of her 72 shots (46%) and 22 of her 30 free throws (73%) in these 10.
• Astaja Tyghter hit 6-of-10 for 13 points at Troy, 6 of 12 vs. Little Rock, 1-for-2 Saturday vs. Arkansas State, then 10-of-15 at Southern Monday, giving her 23 of her last 39 (59%).
• Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt in assists (135, 5.2). She's had 3 or more assists in 14 of the last 16 games. Her 14-assist game at Troy tied for second-best in school history.
• 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%.
• Makeba Ponder had made at least one 3-point basket in 18 consecutive games until going 0-for-3 Feb. 18 vs. Little Rock She's made one in 28 of her last 30 games played in. She has made 21 of her last 24 free throws (87.5%) over the past 11 games she's played.
• Kennesha Nichols has hit 29 of her last 55 field goals (53%).
THIS SERIES
Georgia State prevailed in the inaugural two Sun Belt Conference games in 2014-15 and the Jan. 21, 2016 game to take a 4-2 overall series lead between the two schools by virtue of the three straight wins.
The Panthers won 80-75 in Boone this year (Jan. 21) by coming from 12 points down in the first half and five points at halftime. Haley Gerrin made her first start of the season and scored 20 points to lead the win.
Last year, GSU escaped with a 76-71 win in Boone and prevailed 80-70 in Atlanta in the re-match.
Appalachian State topped GSU in Atlanta on Nov. 26, 2011 for its last win in the series.
SENIOR DAY
Georgia State has two seniors this year and they will be honored before Saturday's final home game.
Ashlee Cole (#12) and Morgan Jackson (#21) will both play their 115th game, tying for 10th most in school history.
Cole, from Forest Park High School, has scored 567 points, grabbed 237 rebounds and made 74 3-point baskets as a Panther.
Jackson, from East Hall High School, has scored 345 points, grabbed 239 rebounds and made 51 3-point baskets for GSU. She's a career 87% free throw shooter.
Jackson, with a 3.88 career GPA, plans to go on to a medical school to pursue a career as a Physician's Assistant. Cole has maintained a solid 2.94 GPA for four years.
GSU BY THE NUMBERS
9.1 - Steals per game that GSU is averaging this year with 236 in the 26 games (No. 76 NCAA).
14.6 - Number of offensive rebounds the Panthers are averaging this year to rank No. 3 in Sun Belt.
16.8 - Number of turnovers GSU forces per game (No.142 in NCAA) with 436.
44 - PG Madison Newby's ranks No. 44 in the NCAA in assists per game (5.2)
64 - Points per game GSU is averaging after scoring 90 twice this season. GSU is No. 173 in the NCAA in scoring.
93 - NCAA rank by GSU in most free throws attempts with 494 taken this year.
112 - Career 3-point baskets by sophomore guard Makeba Ponder in 49 games.
380 - Number of offensive rebounds GSU has this year (14.4 per game) to rank third in the conference.
400 - Tatianna Jackson scored her 400th Saturday (426).
550 - Sophomore Makeba Ponder needs 3 more to hit 550 as she plays her 49th career game Saturday.
