In what coach Ron Hunter called a perfect example of his team’s struggles this season, Georgia State rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final two minutes, only to see Delaware’s Devon Saddler hit a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining to drop the Panthers, 86-83, on Saturday at the Sports Arena.
“It’s just one of these years we can’t catch a break,” Hunter said. “We come all the way back and the kid hits a three.”
The comeback was all the more remarkable considering that the Panthers did it without season’s leading scorer R.J. Hunter, who injured his right foot with 3:38 left in the game. He finished with 15 points, one less than his season average. Ron Hunter said Saturday’s injury made the third time in three days that R.J. injured the foot.
Suspecting a stress fracture after the second injury, they took him to a hospital Friday night where he was cleared to play. Ron Hunter said R.J. may not return until Wednesday’s game against William and Mary, and may not practice again for the rest of the year. R.J. suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in high school, and suffered a similar injury in that foot, which caused him to miss Georgia State’s opening exhibition game.
“When R.J. went down it took some energy out of us, but the kids never gave up,” Ron Hunter said.
The team continued to fight, with the rally completed by two unlikely players: Kevin Shaw and Ryann Green.
Shaw hit a 3-pointer to cut Georgia State’s deficit to 83-79 with 52.9 seconds left.
Markus Crider was called for a foul on the inbounds, but Kyle Anderson, a 75-percent free-throw shooter, missed both.
Devonta White answered with two free throws for Georgia State to cut Delaware’s lead to 83-81 with 41 seconds left.
The Blue Hens forced up a horrible shot on its next possession, and the seldom-used Green got the rebound and was fouled with 6 seconds left. Despite hitting one of two free throws in his career, he drained both to tie the game.
But Delaware hustled down the floor and Saddler hit a 3-pointer from the win with eight-tenths of a second left to give Delaware the victory.
“We’ve seen so much improvement but we just can’t get a bounce our way,” Hunter said.
It was odd that it was the 3-point line that decided the final outcome after the Blue Hens went to the free-throw line 14 more times than the Panthers (6-11, 1-3). Hunter declined to critique the officiating, instead complimenting Delaware’s guards, who combined to take 22 free throws, hitting 16.
“Those guards can drive the ball,” Hunter said. “It is what it is. They put the onus on the officials to make the call and that’s what good guards do.”
Hunter said that’s what he told his players to do after Hunter fouled out: put your head down, drive into the lane and make the officials make a decision. The strategy worked until Saddler’s game-winning shot. Saddler led all scorers with 29 points and three other Blue Hens scored at least 11 points. Manny Atkins led Georgia State with 20 points and White added 18.
“Today was a microcosm of our season,” Hunter said. “Get down, get up, get down, get up and fight, fight, fight.”
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