Georgia State survives Southern, faces Texas-Arlington in Sun Belt final

Georgia State coach Ron Hunter speaks with media after a 90-82 overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 10 in Atlanta.

Georgia State coach Ron Hunter speaks with media after a 90-82 overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Feb. 10 in Atlanta.

Georgia State coach Ron Hunter insisted his team would step up when it mattered most, and he’s been proved correct.

Hunter’s Panthers survived a furious comeback to defeat rival Georgia Southern 73-67 in the Sun Belt tournament semifinals Saturday in New Orleans.

Jordan Session led the Panthers with 16 points and nine rebounds while shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor.

Top-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette was upset 71-68 by No. 4 Texas-Arlington earlier in the afternoon. The Panthers will face UT-Arlington on Sunday for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

The teams split their regular-season meetings, with GSU winning in Atlanta 81-75 and UT-Arlington protecting its home floor, 89-81. Sunday’s game starts at 2 p.m. ET and will be telecast on ESPN2.