Following the women’s basketball victory earlier on Tuesday from the Sports Arena, Georgia State men’s basketball began their defense of its regular season Sun Belt title with a victory over the Louisiana˗Monroe Warhawks by a final score of 65˗45. The Panthers’ overall record now improves to 8˗4.
A layup by Jamaal Samuel would account for the game’s first points as Louisiana˗Monroe took an early 2˗0 lead. Ryann Green was charged with a foul, but Samuel’s free throw was no good. The Panthers evened the score at 2 with a made jumper from R.J. Hunter.
As was similar to the women’s game that took place prior to the men’s game, both teams started out with cold shooting performances.
The score would later be tied at 4 apiece. Chinedu Amajoyi then made a pair of foul shots bringing the score to 6˗4 in ULM’s favor. Hunter then increased his point total to three by making one of two from the line.
Curtis Washington was then charged with a foul on Marvin Williams who would make both of his foul shots, extending the Warhawks’ lead 8˗5. Kevin Ware, who suffered concussion like symptoms after the Green Bay game, contributed his second field goal cutting the Panthers’ deficit to 8˗7.
Louisiana˗Monroe then scored three pointers from Mack Foster and Nick Coppola to extend their lead to 14˗7 off a 6˗0 run. That became 7˗0 after Williams made one of two from the free throw line after being fouled by Ryan Harrow.
With the score at 17˗9 in favor of UL˗Monroe, Georgia State embarked on a 5˗0 run with a three˗pointer by Jalen Brown and Harrow’s first basket of the game, bringing the Panthers within three at 17˗14, prompting a timeout from the Warhawks. The scoring streak became 11˗0 with a pair of three˗pointers by Hunter as the Panthers took a 20˗17 lead.
Samuel then tied it up at 20 with a three, but a layup from Jordan Session placed Georgia State ahead again at 22˗20. Foster made a pair of foul shots to tie the game at 22 after a foul charged to Markus Crider.
Williams fouled Ware, who made one of two from the line for a 23˗22 Panthers lead, but Williams contributed his fourth and fifth points of the game making it a one˗point game in the Warhawks’ favor. In the closing seconds of the first half, Foster placed in an uncontested layup giving Louisiana˗Monroe a 26˗23 lead when halftime started.
Second Half
The second half began with Coppola draining a three to make the lead six at 29˗23 for the Warhawks. The first four Panthers’ points came courtesy of Green as Georgia State closed within two at 29˗27.
The score became 31˗29 in favor of Louisiana˗Monroe. Crider made one of two free throws after being fouled by Tyler Ongwae, then Samuel placed in a layup making the score 33˗30. Ongwae fouled Crider for the second time, placing him back at the line. Cider made both of foul shots bringing the score 33˗32.
After a jumper from Prince Cooper, Crider accomplished a huge dunk plus a layup, allowing the Panthers to retake the lead at 36˗35.
Harvey made one of two free throws after Session was assessed a foul. This tied the game at 36. Five straight points from Harrow then gave Georgia State a 41˗36 lead.
Four straight points from Hunter extended the Panthers lead to 45˗36. A three from Green off an assist by Ware extended the Georgia State run 12˗0 and the lead 48˗36. Two made free throws from Ware upped the Panthers’ advantage to 50˗36.
A dunk from Crider extended the run to 16˗0 and the lead 52˗36. Samuel placed a layup for the Warhawks’ first points in about seven minutes, but Ware increased his point total to nine extending the gap back to 16 at 54˗38.
Lance Richard checked into the game and made a three, but Session’s third and fourth points of the game made the game’s tally 56˗41 in favor of Georgia State.
With three minutes remaining, the score was 58˗43 with the Panthers leading. The next five Georgia State points came from Hunter for a 63˗45. Isaiah Dennis would provide the final score of the game as the Panthers won by a margin of 65˗45.
Georgia State will retake the hardwood Saturday at 2 p.m. from the Sports Arena as they take on UALR.
| Georgia State | Louisiana˗Monroe |
|---|---|
| Hunter: 18 points | Crider: 13 points, 10 rebounds |
| Samuel: 9 points | Ongwae: 0 points (averaged 16 coming into the game) |
