Saturday's game
Georgia State at Rhode Island, 2 p.m., 88.5
Georgia State’s free throw woes cost it another victory Tuesday night. This time the Panthers fell to Southern Miss 69-67 at the Sports Arena.
The inability to hit from the line in the first half turned what had been a double-digit GSU lead into a close game that the Eagles were able to pull out late, taking their first lead with less than three minutes remaining. GSU’s Markus Crider missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Georgia State hit 15 of 22 free throws, slightly better than its season average of 65.4 percent. But six of its seven misses came in the first half, while the Eagles came back. Three days earlier, two late missed free throws cost the Panthers a chance beat Troy.
“If we made free throws and didn’t turn it over, we would have won the game,” coach Ron Hunter said.
R.J. Hunter led the Panthers (5-6) with 24 points, 20 of them coming in the first half. Manny Atkins and Devonta White added 13 each. The Panthers’ last two losses have both come by three points, both in the game’s final seconds.
“We’re disappointed because we think we should be beating postseason teams,” Hunter said. “The kids are hurting and I want them to hurt. We want them to feel the pain of losing.”
Georgia State’s last shot wasn’t designed to go to Crider, who was supposed to take the inbounds pass, drive and kick the ball out, just as he had on the previous possession. But he had trouble grabbing the pass and, after gaining control, threw up the off-balance 3-pointer.
Hunter characterized the decision as a freshman mistake, one of a few made by the team in a performance that otherwise seemed to please the coach.
“That’s the part that I keep talking about … growing pains,” Hunter said. “It’s nothing big. We aren’t for 40 minutes doing the little things. We will. We just aren’t right now.”
After Georgia State led by 11 with 12:25 left in the game, Southern Miss rallied to take a 65-63 lead on two free throws by Jonathan Mills with 2:21 left.
White answered with two free throws to tie it before Jerrold Brooks hit a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 68-65 lead with 2:03 left. He led Southern Miss with 23 points.
White’s layup was blocked on Georgia State’s next possession, giving the Eagles the ball. But a turnover gave the Panthers another chance. Hunters’ long 3-pointer just missed, but Crider chased down the rebound, batting it to White.
After a timeout with 24.4 seconds left, Crider drove the lane and hit Atkins in the corner. His 3-pointer rolled around the rim before coming out. Crider tipped in the miss to cut the Eagles’ lead to 68-67 with 6.8 seconds left.
Hunter fouled Brooks on the inbounds play. He missed the first but hit the second free throw for a 69-67 Eagles lead with 5.5 seconds left, setting up the Panthers’ fruitless final possession.
Georgia State plays at Rhode Island on Saturday and Hunter said he may give the team a break either before or after that game because he said they seem to be pressing.
“We didn’t win the game but I thought we took a step forward,” Hunter said. “We started well, we gave ourselves a chance.”
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