The Georgia State Panthers were presented with the 2014 Sun Belt Trophy in front of a sell-out home crowd of 3,870 following the Panthers 73-55 win over Western Kentucky Saturday.
Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson presented the trophy to the Panthers for being outright conference champions and finishing 17-1 in their first season in the conference.
The Panthers finished 24-7 overall and 13-0 at home this season, the second time in the program’s history the Panthers finished undefeated at home. The Panthers have won 21 of its last 22, the longest stretch in the program’s history.
The men’s basketball celebrates a Sun Belt title following its win Saturday.
Head Coach Ron Hunter sat next to the trophy following the game and said he was proud to defeat one of the Sun Belt’s marquee teams twice this season.
“The only thing that was meaningful to me about Western Kentucky being here and us being able to celebrate a championship is the very first day I told them Western Kentucky sets a standard in the Sun Belt,” Hunter said. “To be able to beat them today and then celebrate our championship was meaningful in that sense.”
The Panthers final game of the regular season was Senior Day as Devonta White, Manny Atkins, Rashaad Richardson and Denny Burguillos were recognized before playing in the Sports Arena for likely the final time.
Hunter said Senior Day was hard for him but proud of his guys and what they have been able to accomplish this season.
Senior Devonta White said he tried to hold his emotions back before and throughout the game, but it was once the final buzzer went off that he could no longer do it.
Devonta White discusses the emotions of Senior Day next to the Sun Belt trophy.
“When we got the trophy and what not, that’s when it all hit me,” White said on the realization of his final home game.
It was the second time the Panthers defeated the preseason Sun Belt conference favorite, and likely a preview for the Sun Belt conference tournament championship game.
Western Kentucky secured a No. 2 seed in the tournament Thursday with its win against Louisina-Lafayette. Like the Panthers, the Hilltoppers will get two byes and start the tournament in the semifinals.
Saturday’s game had the tone of an elimination game with tensions getting high even though not much was at stake other than the Hilltoppers trying to revenge a loss suffered earlier to the Panthers this season.
The Panthers were able to maintain an 11-point lead obtained at the half throughout the game reaching as large of a lead of 17 mid-way through the half.
Georgia State had 17 points off turnovers and 14 off the fast break compared to the Hilltoppers who scored four and zero points in those categories, respectively.
“If you don’t turn it over and make your free-throws, you can always come back and you can always extend leads,” Hunter said. “And, when that’s really huge is in tournament play. We’re not going to do anything different.”
Ryan Harrow finished with a game-high 20 points with White right behind him scoring 19.
Curtis Washington was productive scoring nine and grabbing seven rebounds against the best offensive rebounding team in the Sun Belt.
Western Kentucky relied heavily on its freshman Payton Hulsey and Chris Harrison-Docks for offensive production both finishing in double-figures. The rest of the Hilltoppers finished with less than five points.
Western Kentucky was without its two best players Saturday. T.J. Price was on the bench resting a bad shoulder and George Fant on the bench resting a bad foot. Price leads the team in shooting while Fant leads in rebounds and blocks.
The Hilltoppers blew opportunities to makeup ground at the charity stripe shooting 6-of-12 at the line for the game. The Hilltoppers averaged 15.7 made free-throws going into the game.
Western Kentucky shot 38 percent for the game making five 3-pointers, four of which came in the second half.
Senior Rashaad Richardson started for the Panthers in place of R.J. Hunter. Richardson played 13 minutes and grabbed one rebound.
R.J. Hunter was injured his left ankle with just more than four minutes remaining in the game and was helped off the court. He finished with 12 points.
Ron Hunter said R.J. Hunter was fine and could have gone back in the game but held him out for precautionary reasons. Marcus Crider also sat on the bench Saturday for precautionary measures because of his ankle, according to Hunter.
The Panthers now look to the Sun Belt tournament in New Oreleans. The tournament begins Thursday, but the Panthers first game is Saturday at 3 p.m. eastern time.
