THE FINAL 2015-16 GAME

     Georgia State (10-18, 5-14) plays its final game of the season with a trip to UL Monroe on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.  Listen live on the GSU radio network (1340 The Fan 3 and 1230-AM) or watch live on ESPN3.

     Georgia State's young team has continued to improve and fight all season. The Panthers beat Georgia Southern on Feb. 22, but then lost to App. State on Feb. 27 after giving up a two-point lead with the ball Saturday, then giving up five points in the final 30 seconds, while missing the chance to tie with the closing possession of the game. Thursday, GSU led third-place UL Lafayette after a quarter,  at the half, in the third quarter and was still within 1-point of the lead with two minutes to play in falling 65-60.

    GSU is perhaps the youngest team in the Sun Belt with four freshman playing a whopping 2,142 minutes this year, while being led in scoring by a sophomore. They have just two senior reserves, so with another recruiting class and the returnees, the future looks very promising. The erractic and excitable freshmen have helped GSU give up the most turnovers in the league (532) as the Panthers' problem is not as much as the opponent as themselves just throwing errant passes trying to make the plays that aren't there.

    UL Monroe (11-17-, 5-14) comes in having won two of its last three games and are 8-6 at home as they close out Senior Day knowing their tournament bid is gone, too.     

   Georgia State's Freshmen-of-the Year candidate Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 47 in the NCAA with 142 assists (5.1 per game). Makeba Ponder is chasing the league lead in 3-point baskets made per game (2.318, 51 in 22 games, Flanery ASU is 2.321 so this final game will decide). Ponder is No. 4 in FT percentage (81.3%) and leads GSU at 12.0 points per game. The Panthers' defense averages 9.1 thefts per game (256 total), third most in the Sun Belt and No. 67 in the NCAA, with Newby leading with 46, Astaja Tyghter with 45 in four less games, along with Makeba Ponder with 41. Tyghter averages 9.1 ppg after four double-figure games in the last six. Unsung forward Haley Gerrin has come on to average 9.3 points over the past 12 games, making 43 of her 85 shots (50.6%) and 73% of her free throws in that span. The up-tempo Panthers average 64 points per game, No. 4 in the Sun Belt.

WHO'S HOT FOR GSU

•  Haley Gerrin's last 11 games have seen her score 110 points (9.3 per game). She's hit 41 of her 81 shots (50.6%) and 24 of her 33 free throws (75%) in these 11.

•  Astaja Tyghter has made 30 of her last 55 shots over five games 54.5%).

•  Madison Newby leads the Sun Belt in assists (142, 5.1). She's had 3 or more assists in 16 of the last 18 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 30 of her last 32 games played in. Her streak of 18 consecutive games ended Feb. 18 vs. Little Rock with 0-for-3. She has made 23 of her last 26 free throws (88.5%) over the past 13 games she's played. She is No. 3 in the SBC for the season (81.3%).

•  Kennesha Nichols has hit 33 of her last 60 field goals (55.0%)

SOME UL MONROE NUMBERS

   •  The Warhawks have won two of their last three games, topping South Alabama and Georgia Southern.

  •  Unlike GSU, UL Monroe has a “go to” senior in 6-foot-1 forward Alayshia Hunter. Hunter averages 16.3 ppg (No. 5 SBC) after 15 in Thursday's win. She pulls down 7.2 rebounds (No. 7 SBC) to lead the Warhawks as well.

  •   ULM's pair of “super sophs” sparked ULM Thursday. Guard Chelsea Tieuel had 18 points with 4 3-pointers, while forward Deja Chase had 10 points and 9 rebounds to support leader Hunter in the win.

  •  ULM won Thursday because the Warhawks calmly converted 15 of 16 free throws, including six in a row in the final 45 seconds of the win over Georgia Southern.

  •  ULM has never beaten Georgia State since the teams became Sun Belt members.

FRESHMEN PLAYING KEY ROLES

  Georgia State has four freshmen, two of whom have started most of the season.

   Forward Astaja Tyghter (Orlando, Fla. Colonial High School) has 10 double-figure scoring games to average 9.1 points per game. She has 115 rebounds (4.8 per game) with two games of nine boards.  She is second on the team in steals (45, 1.9).

   Point guard Madison Newby (Lawrenceville, Ga. Archer High School) is No. 1 in the Sun Belt in assists with 142 (5.1) to rank No. 47 in the NCAA. Newby also has 12 double-figure scoring games to average 8.9 points per game. She also has 46 steals to lead the team.

   Kierra Henry (Marietta, Ga. Pope High School) has scored 57 points in her 20 college games, missing seven games with an injury. She has had eight-point and seven-point games. She also has a six-rebound game and has nine steals.

  KK Williams (Murfreesboro, Tenn. Blackman High School) has made 14 starts in 28 games and has scored 89 points (3.1) to go with 67 rebounds (2.4).  

THIS SERIES 

   Georgia State has won all five games in this series over three years as Sun Belt members, including a 66-61 win at ULM last year on March 5 to earn a spot in the SBC Tournament. That game had 11 ties and nine lead changes and was tied at 59 with two minutes to play. Makeba Ponder hit five 3-pointers for 15 points in that game.

     This year, GSU edged ULM 65-52 in Atlanta on Jan. 14, 2016. It was 44-38 after 3 quarters and 50-45 with 3:56 to play. 

    GSU won in Atlanta last year 80-72 on Dec. 30, 2014. The Panthers won the game in Atlanta in 2014 on Feb. 19 by the margin of 85-77. That game had 12 lead changes and seven ties. Makeba Ponder had 20 points, including four treys, in that win. The game was 71-70 with 1:28 left to play.