ATLANTA — The Georgia State Panthers took an early lead and forced 29 Brewton-Parker turnovers to roll to an easy 104-35 victory on Wednesday night in the GSU Sports Arena.
“This was a contrast from last Friday’s game,” said head coach Rob Lanier. “We were unselfish on offense and played well together as a whole. Regardless of the outcome, those things will translate to later in the season.”
Georgia State (1-0) jumped out to a quick 27-5 lead, forcing seven Baron (3-2) turnovers and shooting 50 percent from behind the arc early. The Panthers would continue the hot shooting the rest of the half, ending the first half with eight three pointers. Damon Wilson had a huge first frame, scoring 16 points and bringing down five boards.
“I was really proud of the way Dame rebounded the basketball,” said Lanier. “I was a little disappointed in his five turnovers. But he has worked his tail off. We changed his jump shot and went through the long process of adjusting his shot. For him to do that and get results tonight makes me proud of him.”
The Panthers also brought down 23 offensive rebounds tonight. Lanier says that the physical play is a mindset he wants his team to have this season.
“We have a chart. We write down how many times you attempted a hustle play like an offensive rebound, charge, shot attempts, etc.,” said Lanier. “We look at a percentage of, ‘How many of those did you do today and what percentage of the time are we doing the things that will lead us to a win?’ If you have a number in the eighties or nineties, you’re doing a pretty good job.”
Georgia State had five players score in double digits, including Nelson Phillips, who dropped 17 points off the bench and made three of five shots from behind the arc. For Brewton-Parker, John Allen led the way with 10 points and shot two-for-three from three point land.
A lot of buzz in Atlanta was around Joe Jones III, star freshman from Buffalo, New York and brother of former Ohio State great Greg Oden. Jones started for the Panthers tonight, finishing with seven points and nine rebounds. Lanier believes that the sky is the limit for the big man.
“Joe was consistent all summer long,” said Lanier. “He has a lot to learn and needs to develop some better habits, but there’s a toughness about him that’s attractive to a coach. He likes being coached. Time will tell on his upside, but if he keeps working, he’ll be a heck of a college player for sure.”
Georgia State will begin a long four-game road trip this Saturday with a trip to College of Charleston. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game can be streamed on FloHoops.
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