An 18-0 run in the first half and a 9-0 run in the second half proved too much for Georgia State to overcome in a 74-65 loss to Massachusetts on Wednesday at the GSU Sports Arena.
Playing without second-leading scorer D’Marcus Simonds and with starting guards Isaiah Williams, Justin Seymour and coach Ron Hunter battling the flu, the Panthers (7-5) were hoping against hope to build momentum off last week’s 64-56 win over Middle Tennessee, then No. 6 in RPI. Instead, Massachusetts (10-3) was too tough on defense and too good at turning its defense into offense for easy baskets throughout the game.
“Some things we’ve done all year long that we just couldn’t do,” Hunter said, citing UMass’ play, the flu, and the absence of Simonds as some of the reasons why.
The Panthers got within six at 65-59 with 2:41 left following an 8-0 run that included tip-ins by Willie Clayton and Malik Benlevi, a layup by Isaiah Dennis and a jumper by Jeremy Hollowell.
Georgia State trapped Luwane Pipkins in the corner following the layup by Dennis, forcing UMass coach Derek Kellogg to call a timeout with 2:32 left. Donte Clark was able to slice through the middle of Georgia State’s defense for a layup on the ensuing possession to push the Minutemen lead to 67-59 with 2:16 left.
Jordan Session missed a 3-pointer on Georgia State’s next possession. UMass took advantage with a free throw by Rashaan Holloway to push its lead to 68-59 with 1:35 left.
Here are five observations about the game:
Defense into offense. Both teams have shown abilities this season to turn defense into offense. UMass was the better at it Wednesday. In the 16-0 run, the Minutemen scored off of a block, a long defensive rebound and a steal to build momentum where there was none.
Most times Georgia State was able to get close, the Minutemen would create a defensive stop or turnover and then score. The Panthers were within five, at 48-43, midway through the second half, before UMass used three defensive stops and a turnover to increase its lead to 57-43 with 9:41 left.
Those types of scoring plays continued throughout the game for the Minutemen. Georgia State finished with 16 turnovers, and the Minutemen scored 23 fast-break points. The Panthers forced 18 turnovers and scored 18 fast-break points.
No Simonds, no offense. The Panthers played without freshman Simonds, whose status is day to day after suffering a bruised knee. He underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning, and Hunter expected to know by Wednesday night if he will be able to play in Saturday's Sun Belt opener against Georgia Southern in Statesboro.
Simonds is averaging 9.2 points per game. Without his scoring ability, Georgia State had a difficult time creating any offense, particularly in the first half. A drought of six minutes in which the Panthers missed six field goals saw a 15-10 lead turn into a 28-18 deficit. The Minutemen created a 36-27 halftime lead by holding Georgia State to 36-percent shooting.
“If there was a game we needed him it was a game like this,” Hunter said. “We knew it was going to be a transition game. He’s our best ballhandler and probably best playmaker.”
Seymour played 26 minutes and missed 7 of 9 shot attempts. Williams played 14 minutes and missed all three of his shots. Hunter said he probably shouldn’t have played them.
Free-throw woes. Beyond the difficulty in creating good looks, the Panthers couldn't take advantage of opportunities at the free-throw line. The six-minute scoring drought in the first half included four missed free throws. Georgia State missed 5 of 10 in the first half. The Panthers were making 66.1 percent of their free throws this season, but made only 11 of 21 (52.4 percent) against UMass.
Hollowell misfires. With Simonds out, more pressure fell on Hollowell, the team's leading scorer this season. The senior entered averaging 14.2 points per game, almost twice as much as the next-best scorer available Wednesday. He missed 4 of 5 in the first half and got to the free-throw line twice, making one shot. He finished the half with five points and the game with 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Benlevi a bright spot. Benlevi, a sophomore, was the only consistent scoring threat for the Georgia State. He opened the game with a 3-pointer, one of two he made, and finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
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