ATLANTA – Georgia State's Jeremy Hollowell hit two free throws with 34.7 seconds left to send the game to overtime and made two more with 14 seconds remaining in the extra session to seal a 69-66 win for the Panthers over Georgia Southern in Sun Belt men's basketball action Tuesday night in GSU Sports Arena.
Tookie Brown missed a long 3-point try to tie it for Georgia Southern as the buzzer sounded. With the Eagles trailing by four points late in overtime,
Jake Allsmiller was fouled on a 3-point try from the corner and made all three to make it a one-point game, and
Devonte Boykins stole the ball as Georgia State crossed halfcourt.
Aubrey McRae, who just entered the game for the first time, scooped it up and took it all the way to the basket, but his runner was off the mark. The Panthers inbounded to Hollowell, who was fouled and made both for the 69-66 cushion.
Georgia State scored on its first four possessions of overtime to open a six-point advantage and led 65-59 with 1:45 to go.
Ike Smith and
Coye Simmons scored on Georgia Southern's next two possessions to cut the margin to 65-63 with 1:02 to play.
Smith fouled Kevin Ware, who missed two free throws, but the Panthers got the offensive board and got the ball back to Ware, who was fouled again. This time, the senior canned a pair with 39.3 to play to put the Panthers ahead 67-63.
With Georgia Southern leading 55-53, Simmons was whistled for a holding call on Hollowell as the Panthers were inbounding under their own basket with 34.7 left in regulation. Hollowell sank both free throws, and
Mike Hughes' long triple for the Eagles was off the mark. The Panthers got the ball ahead to Isaiah Dennis, and his 3-pointer from the wing swished through the net but did not beat the buzzer.
Smith led four Eagles in double figures with career highs of 23 points and nine rebounds for Georgia Southern (6-11, 2-5), and Hughes recorded 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Allsmiller scored 11, and
Tookie Brown tallied 10 points and four assists.
T.J. Shipes posted 14 points and 13 rebounds for Georgia State (12-4, 5-2), and Markus Crider collected 14 points and seven rebounds. Hollowell finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Isaiah Williams and Ware each scored 10.
The win gives the Panthers a point in the
Southern vs. State Rivalry Series, and Georgia State leads Georgia Southern 6-3.
The storyThe Eagles fell behind 12-2 early but used a 17-4 run at the end of the first half and beginning of the second to open a 10-point lead. Georgia Southern hit its final three shots of the first half and made 3 of 4 to start the second period. Dennis scored all eight of his points in a 16-2 Georgia State spurt that opened a 47-41 advantage midway through the period. Brown nailed a pair of jumpers, Allsmiller hit a triple and Smith added a free throw to tie the score 49-49 with 5:54 left. The Eagles trailed by one point when Allsmiller made an open triple after the ball popped out to him off an offensive rebound with 1:34 to go. The Panthers missed two shots on their next possession but were able to get the offensive rebounds to set up Hollowell's first pair of big free throws. Georgia State made 4 of 5 from the floor in overtime, while Georgia Southern was 3 of 10.
Quotable from Coach Mark Byington"It was a great college basketball game. We didn't get some breaks towards the end of the game – a couple things that didn't fall our way. A loose ball here or there – some things like that kind of kept us from winning the game. But I told the guys in the locker room that if anybody can't see that you guys are getting better, they're not watching basketball. We came into a tough environment and went toe to toe with them and had a chance to win the game."
"The encouraging thing is that we played to win and we competed but we can play better. We can make some more free throws, we can finish better around the rim and we can fix some things. I'm excited to get back to work and get back to practice."
Next upThe Eagles continue their four-game road trip at Appalachian State Saturday, Jan. 23. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
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