Sun Belt champs.
A game after clinching at least a share of the Sun Belt’s regular-season title, Georgia State took the title with a 66-55 victory over Texas State on Saturday. It is the Panthers’ first outright conference championship since taking the TAAC in 2000-01.
Georgia State now has two games to rest or work on whatever coach Ron Hunter wants before the all-important Sun Belt tournament starts in New Orleans. The Panthers (22-7, 15-1) will be the No. 1 seed and won’t play until the semifinals on Saturday, March 15. Winning the tournament will guarantee a trip to the NCAA tournament, which Georgia State hasn’t participated in since 2000-01.
Four Panthers scored at least 13 points led by R.J. Hunter, who bounced back from a minor knee injury suffered earlier in the week with a game-high 18. Curtis Washington, who didn’t start for just the third time this season, added six points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
The Panthers have won 19 of their past 20 games, including nine of 10 on the road. The Panthers will play at Arkansas State on Tuesday and will finish the regular season hosting Western Kentucky on Saturday, March 8.
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