What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State will continue a three-game home-stand on Saturday facing Montana for the second time in program history.
* Senior Isaiah Williams could play in his 100th career game. He is just 86 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
* Sophomore D'Marcus Simonds has scored in double-digits in 25-straight games dating back to last season.
ATLANTA-With final exams week in the rearview mirror, Georgia State will continue its three-game home-stand hosting Montana at the GSU Sports Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Georgia State (5-3) will open the two-game home-and-home series which will conclude in Montana next season facing a Grizzlies (5-3) squad that has had a unique week. Montana flew to California on Tuesday to face UCLA on Wednesday night, but after arrival, the game had to be canceled due to the dangerous wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Saturday’s contest can be heard live on 1340 The Fan 3/103.7 FM with Dave Cohen, now in his 35th year as the Voice of the Panthers, being joined by 680 The Fan’s Brandon Leak. The game will also air on the WatchESPN platform for a third-straight year with Sam Crenshaw and former Panther Rodney “Truck” Turner calling the action. Live statistics and live audio will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com and on most mobile devices.
Despite a career-high 35 points from sophomore D’Marcus Simonds, Georgia State fell to Liberty 77-74 in overtime on Monday. Simonds has now scored in double-digits in 25-straight games dating back to last season.
“Monday night was a tough loss for a lot of reasons,” head coach Ron Hunter said. “However, I love the resolve of this team. They don’t get too high and they don’t get too low. Despite this being exam week, we got back after it and continue to work toward our goal of playing our best basketball in February and March.”
Georgia State enters play ranked No. 5 in the NCAA with a 6.8 turnover margin, along with the No. 19 scoring defense (61.4 ppg) and No. 33 field goal percentage defense (38.2 percent) in the country.
Among Georgia State’s most potent offensive options is Simonds who enters Saturday averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. The reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year is among the top five in the Sun Belt in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played.
Simonds is one of three Panthers scoring in double figures. Junior Malik Benlevi is averaging 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, shooting 51.2 percent from 3-point range and 50.0 percent from the floor. He is No. 2 in the Sun Belt averaging 2.0 steals per game.
Junior Devin Mitchell rounds out the double-digit scoring threat adding 11.5 points per game. He has knocked down a team-high 22 3-pointers and is shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The Panthers are scoring 71.0 points per game, while holding opponents to just 61.4 points per contest. Equally remarkable, Georgia State has forced 146 turnovers, while turning the ball over just 92 times.
Notes:
- Senior Isaiah Williams should play in his 100th career game on Saturday. He also enters play just 86 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
- Georgia State and Montana will be meeting for the second time, but for the first in more than 30 years.
- Georgia State ranks first in the Sun Belt in both scoring defense and turnover margin, along with second in field goal percentage defense and steals.
- With a win, Georgia State would improve to 6-3 for the second-straight season.
- Georgia State is one of four Sun Belt schools currently ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.
Following the game on Saturday, Georgia State will conclude its three-game home-stand hosting nearby Point University on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the GSU Sports Arena. The game can be seen live on WatchESPN/ESPN3.
Quick Notes:
• Georgia State will play the second of a three-game home-stand facing Montana for the second time in program history.
• The Panthers and Grizzlies last met in the Champion Holiday Classic in Missoula, Montana, in December of 1984.
• Georgia State is coming off a tough 77-74 overtime loss to Liberty on Monday.
• Against the Flames, D’Marcus Simonds scored a career-high 35 points in 43 minutes of action.
• Simonds has scored in double figures in 25-straight games, among the top 20 longest streaks in the country.
• The Panthers have recorded four double-doubles this season, including Jordan Session and Malik Benlevi who both earned them against Tulane.
• The two double-doubles against Tulane marked the first time since the 2006-07 season that GSU recorded multiple in one game.
• With a win on Saturday, Georgia State would improve to 6-3 for the second-straight year.
• Georgia State enters play ranked No. 5 in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 6.8.
• Head coach Ron Hunter, Georgia State’s all-time leader in wins, won the 400th game of his career on Nov. 20 against Eastern Washington.
• Hunter has led the Panthers to four of the seven most successful seasons in program history, including a pair of 25-win seasons.
• Senior Isaiah Williams could play in his 100th career game tonight. He is also just 86 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
• On opening night, D’Marcus Simonds recorded the first triple-double in school history (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists).
• Georgia State was picked to finish second in the annual Sun Belt Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
• Georgia State is ranked No. 22 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
• The Panthers have won 20 or more games in three of the last four seasons, advancing to postseason play in each of those years.
• Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Panthers have won 91 games, the most of any NCAA Division 1 program in the state of Georgia.
• Following Saturday’s game, GSU will conclude a three-game homestand with Point on Tuesday.
