Last year’s season opener resulted in a loss to UT Martin. This year, Georgia State women’s basketball found itself in the win column in this year’s season opener as the Panthers notched a 72˗59 victory over the UNF Ospreys.
First Half
The first seven points of the game belonged to the Panthers as Alisha Andrews’ five points and a pair from Brittany Logan led the early scoring attack for Georgia State. A layup from Paulina Zaveckaite would put the Ospreys on the board before a layup from Kayla Nolan and Logan’s third and fourth points would bring the score to 11˗2.
Georgia State would maintain a nine˗point advantage at 13˗4 until two˗point buckets from Zaveckaite and Brittany Wright would make the score 13˗8. A layup from Miranda Smith made the tally 15˗8 which then became 15˗10. Logan upped her point total to eight before a 4˗0 Ospreys run made it 18˗14.
North Florida managed to cut their deficit to two at 20˗18, which later became a 22˗20 score before Morgan Jackson’s first two points and two made free throws from Ashley Watson extended the Panthers’ edge to 26˗20.
A three point shot courtesy of Bailey Florin made the score 26˗23 before Nolan and Kennesha Nichols paced the Panthers with a 10˗3 run to close the first half with Georgia State with a 36˗26 lead.
Nolan led the Panthers with nine points. Logan also had eight points to aid the Georgia State cause. Florin led the Ospreys with 10. As the 26 North Florida points show, Georgia State’s defense also played a major part in their first half performance.
Second Half
North Florida’s Maiya Rumph began the second half with the first pair of points for the Ospreys before the Panthers answered with a three pointer courtesy of Gaby Moss to expand the Georgia State advantage to 39˗28.
Zaveckaite’s sixth and seventh points made it 39˗30 prior to Logan’s ninth point coming of a free throw to make the score 40˗30 in favor of the Panthers.
Georgia State maintained their 10 point lead later at 44˗34 prior to Nolan hitting one of two from the free throw line for her tenth point of the game. At 45˗34 Panthers, a 5˗0 Ospreys run cut their deficit to six.
This made the game 45˗39, Logan managed a layup before North Florida cut the Panthers lead to four at 47˗43.
The teams then exchanged 5˗0 runs as the score became 52˗48. After a three point play from Miranda Smith, Florin upped her point total to 15 as the score became 55˗50.
Georgia State’s lead would be maintained and it would continue to be five at 59˗54 before Nolan upped her point tally to 14 as the game’s lead for the Panthers became nine at 63˗54.That became eleven at 65˗54 with Andrews’ eighth and ninth points.
Florin’s sixteenth point came off a free throw before Georgia State extended its lead to 13 at 68˗55.
The next time the Panthers hit the court, it will be back at the Sports Arena for their home opener on Nov. 24 vs. Thomas.
| Georgia State | North Florida |
|---|---|
| Nolan: 15 points | Logan: 13 points |
| Florin: 16 points, 5-9 FGs | Wright: 7 points |
