Georgia State overcame a 14-point second-half deficit for an 82-77 victory against rival Georgia Southern on Saturday in Statesboro.
The Panthers (14-7, 7-3 Sun Belt) trailed 65-51 with 12:58 to play, then went on a 6-0 run in the next 1:16 before slowly chipping at the Eagles’ lead. With 51 seconds to play, Josh Linder scored on putback layup for a 77-76 lead, and the Panthers never trailed again.
Five Panthers scored in double figures, led by junior Kane Williams who scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Junior Justin Roberts and senior Damon Wilson each scored 13, while junior Corey Allen and sophomore Nelson Phillips finished with 10 points apiece.
Ike Smith led Georgia Southern (12-9, 6-4) with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Isaiah Crawley finished with 14 points and six rebounds. The Eagles missed nine free throws in the second half, 11 overall.
