Georgia State earned a historic win in a common fashion Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers defeated William and Mary 64-60 in Williamsburg, Va., to earn their 20th win, a mark achieved for the fourth time in school history and the first since the 2003-04 season. They accomplished it in coach Ron Hunter’s first season in Atlanta.
“I felt like the past week and a half I put so much pressure on myself and the team to get it,” Hunter said. “To be able to get it, when it’s only happened three times, and you walk in and get it done. It’s a credit to the assistants and the players.”
Hunter said he may be happier than the team’s six seniors, none of whom ever won more than 12 games in a season at Georgia State (20-10, 11-7). Hunter’s family temporarily remained in Indiana after he left IUPUI for the job at Georgia State last year. They will join him later this year when his son, R.J., finishes high school.
“To me, [the win] justifies so much,” he said. “The high school games I missed of my son’s, my daughter and spending time with her, it justifies so much. But it’s the most ecstatic I’ve seen the locker room in a long time.”
It came in what Hunter described as typical Georgia State fashion.
The Panthers built a 15-point lead on a Rashaad Richardson 3-pointer with 17:24 left in the second half. But, as has been a problem most the season, Georgia State couldn’t put away its opponent, and it failed to make enough of its free throws.
Leading 58-52 with 59 seconds remaining, Josh Micheaux missed the first free throw in a one-and-one opportunity. The Tribe (6-25, 4-14) quickly answered with a 3-pointer by Matt Rum that cut the Panthers’ lead to 58-55 with 52 seconds left.
Devonta White, who made key shots throughout the game, made two free throws in the next one-and-one to push the lead back to five. Eric Buckner followed with a dunk, and White added two more free throws to secure the victory.
White finished with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, and zero turnovers in 36 minutes. Hunter said it was the best game that White has played this season. Rashaad Richardson added 11 and Buckner 10.
Hunter was left to joke about his team’s lack of a killer instinct afterward.
“They want me to earn everything, so they make me coach every second,” Hunter said. “I earned every penny.”
Sixth-seeded Georgia State will next play 11th-seeded Hofstra in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Richmond.
Staff writer Doug Roberson contributed to this article.
About the Author
