ATLANTA – GS Jamaine Mann tallied 18 points and seven rebounds, and Brenden Tucker made two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to ice the contest and send Georgia State to a 64-60 Sun Belt men's basketball win over Georgia Southern Thursday night in the GSU Convocation Center.
The Eagles trailed 62-59 and had the ball with 6.4 seconds to go, but the Panthers fouled Jalen Finch on the floor before he could get into a shooting motion, sending the fifth-year senior to the free throw line for a 1-and-1. Finch made the first one with 2.5 seconds left and missed the second off the front rim on purpose, but the Eagles were whistled for a lane violation. State inbounded to Tucker who put the game out of reach.
Eagles of the Game
Finch finished the game with 16 points, with 14 coming in the second half, to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Tyren Moore collected 13 points and seven boards, and Kaden Archie scored 10.
Key Moments
The Eagles (12-12, 5-6) whittled an eight-point deficit down to 59-55 with 2:30 remaining as Moore and Andrei Savrasov hit back-to-back triples. Southern got two straight defensive stops but could not cut the margin further. The Eagles committed a shot clock violation on one possession as Mann blocked Savrasov's 3-point attempt, and Tucker took a charge from Kaden Archie on his way to the hoop on the Eagles' next offensive possession.
After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, Mann hit consecutive 3-pointers, and Tucker capped an 11-0 run with a triple that gave the Panthers (10-13, 3-8) a 38-30 cushion early in the second period. Moore hit a 3-pointer to spark a 9-1 Southern run that cut the deficit 40-39 following a Kamari Brown dunk with 11:35 to go.
Stats and Notes
- It was the first meeting between the Eagles and Panthers in the GSU Convocation Center.
- State held Southern to 36 percent shooting in the second half and 38 percent for the game.
- Southern had 15 turnovers, its third-highest total of the season and the most since Dec. 29. The Eagles were minus 6 in turnover margin.
Next up
The Eagles cap their four-game road trip at Old Dominion Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will air live on ESPN+ and the GS Sports Network.
