Georgia State closed out its run in the GSU Sports Arena Friday with a 65-58 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Friday in its regular-season finale.

The seven-point win was the seventh straight for the Panthers, who finished the regular season with a 15-10 record. Georgia State rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit for the win and Jalen Thomas’ 16 points led three Panthers in double figures.

The Sports Arena opened in 1973 and has hosted everything from the badminton competition in the 1996 Summer Olympics to a couple of conference tournaments. It’s where Lefty Driesell brought the team into the national spotlight – earning the right to have the court named in his honor – and where Ron Hunter elevated the program even further. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Georgia State is 121-29 at home.

Georgia State will move into the new $80 million Convocation Center for the 2022-23 season. The arena will seat 7,500 for basketball – more than twice the capacity of the existing arena.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Berry College coach Tony Kunczewski started the program in 2013 and has been named SAA Conference coach of the year six times, including this year after a 9-1 regular season. (Berry Athletics)

Credit: Berry Athletics

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff