Breaking a record isn’t easy.
For Georgia State to win its 12-consecutive win, it took a come from behind, overtime effort, but it was gratifying as the Panthers defeated the University of Texas Arlington 101-91 late Saturday night at the Sports Arena.
Students lift Ryan Harrow up as the Panthers win 12-consecutive game.
Students stormed the court when it was all said and done knowing the Panthers had broken the program’s record for longest winning streak with 12-consecutive. The record was previously 11 from Head Coach Ron Hunter’s first season in 2011.
“I think this is a great thing for Georgia State,” Hunter said. “This win was for our entire university.”
“The consecutive streak is straight for the university,” Hunter said adding the students, faculty and fans. “That’s not about us.”
The Panthers trailed by as many as 16 with 13:19 left in the second half.
That, however, happened to be followed by a palpable momentum shift that occurred as Devonta White made two free-throws followed by a layup by Hunter that electrified the crowd.
The Panthers went on a 15-4 run halfway through the second half to wipe the Maverick’s lead down to three.
R.J. Hunter made a three with less than five minutes in the game to tie it at 69. Then tied at 71, Hunter made a three to put the Panthers in the lead for the first time since early in the first half.
The Mavericks kept finding their shots, however, putting them up by two with under a minute to go.
It was a chaotic final minute as Hunter attempted a three but missed and was rebounded by Texas-Arlington and then dunked by Brandon Edwards.
Trailing by as many as four with 28 seconds, Hunter made a desperate 3-pointer to put the Panthers down by one with 5.5 seconds remaining.
Devonta White made a 3-pointer to send Georgia State to overtime.
With two seconds left on the clock, Crider inbounded to Harrow who passed it left to White who made a three to tie the game at 82 and sending the game to overtime.
Coach Hunter said the play was a misdirection that opened up three options for Harrow to give to someone to make the shot: Hunter first, Atkins second and White third.
“We got it to the third option and made a big, big play,” Hunter said.
“Last night, me and R.J. [Hunter] came to the gym to do our usual game shooting routine, and I hit that shot a few times,” White said. “It was an open shot. I just hit it with not much to it.”
The Panthers got to work fast in overtime as threes from White and Atkins gave the Panthers an early lead.
Free throws by Harrow, White and Atkins sealed the win extending the Panthers lead and an eventual 100-91 victory.
The Panthers went 10-13 from the free-throw line in overtime and finished 29-of-34 at the line for the game.
Hunter finished with 31 points, White finished with 30 and Harrow with 22.
The Panthers remain undefeated in the Sun Belt with an 8-0 record.
Texas-Arlington’s guard Jamel Outler got the Mavericks out to a fast start scoring six 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes of the game, breaking his career-high record of 3-pointers in a game with five.
“We kind of panicked defensively a little bit,”Hunter said on the shaky defense. “Then we settled down and challenged more shots, got in better rebound positions, so we got back to our defense.”
Outler finished 6-of-9 beyond the arc with 20 points making nothing in the second half.
Texas-Arlington’s Reger Dowell led the team with 26 points.
Atlanta’s snow and ice that shut down much down much of the city last week caused the Panthers game scheduled for Jan. 30 against South Alabama to be postponed to Monday, Feb. 4.
The reschedule caused the Panthers to reset their game preparations.
“We were thrown off our schedule. We didn’t really practice well,” Hunter said. “Just everything that could have gone wrong didn’t go right,” Hunter said how snow impacted his team.
Hunter said there was a practice he could not get to and had to make R.J. Hunter run because of the weather.
However, Hunter said he feels ready for South Alabama.
“We were supposed to play them Thursday, so we’re already prepared for them,” Hunter said.
