Patrick Duffy | THE SIGNAL
While the vast majority of students were enjoying their respective holiday breaks, the Georgia State men’s and women’s basketball teams were hard at work as they each played several games during the past few weeks.
The results were a little bit less than celebratory for the men’s team. Out of the eight match-ups, they were victorious in only one, despite being competitive in most of them.
After opening the season with five wins and four losses prior to the break, Georgia State’s recent slump pushes their record to 6-11.
The Panthers lost close contests at Troy and at home versus Southern Miss to begin the break. A two-game road trip wrapped around Christmas Day would also see them lose nail biters at Rhode Island and at Georgia Southern.
The only blowout loss during the break came at home against Drexel, when Georgia State fell by a score of 77-60 in their Colonial Athletic Association opener.
The lone victory over the break came at home in a 68-52 victory over James Madison. James Vincent scored ten points and had eight blocks in the game, moving him into the top five in Georgia State history in blocked shots.
After getting back in the win column, the Panthers traveled to Hofstra, falling short by a score of 52-50.
Georgia State lost yet another heartbreaker on Saturday as Delaware prevailed on a last second three-pointer inside the Sports Arena.
With a four and four showing over the break, the Georgia State women’s basketball team now boasts an overall record of 9-5.
The nine victories for the team is reason for fans to be optimistic as it bests their win total from the entire 2011-12 season.
The holiday break got off to an inauspicious start as the Panthers were routed at Belmont, 85-62. The defeat included Belmont shooting 60 percent from three-point range and two technical fouls in a five-minute span that led to the ejection of head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener.
Their next three contests took place at the Sports Arena and would go much better for Georgia State.
The Panthers defeated Morehead State 61-47, as sophomore guard Kayla Nolan scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Western Carolina 64-45, as junior guard Kendra Long poured in 13 points.
Next, Georgia State defeated Mississippi Valley State 76-60 in their opening game of the Georgia State-hosted Holiday and Hoops Tournament. They got 12 points each from Long and senior guard Tiffany Anderson, who also completed a double-double with 11 rebounds.
The tournament also included Charlotte and eventual winner Toledo, who defeated Georgia State 46-43 in the final game. Two Georgia State players made the All-Tournament team—Anderson and senior center Cody Paulk.
Georgia State began conference play with a 72-66 home loss to Old Dominion despite a double-double from Paulk, who finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds. She also became Georgia State’s career leader in blocked shots with 168.
The team finished the holiday break with a 64-63 loss at Hofstra and a 56-49 win at Towson on Saturday.
