Gant
hit a tying 3-pointer at the first overtime buzzer, then had two key
baskets in the second extra session in the Bobcats’ 77-74 over Georgia
State Monday at the GSU Sports Arena.
The
stunning loss was GSU’s first setback at the Sports Arena in nearly two
years, since Northeastern also won in overtime in the Panthers’ final
game as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association in February, 2013.
Early
in the first overtime, Gant hit a bucket and went 1-of-2 from the
free-throw line, then Ethan Montalvo hit a 3-pointer in the corner to
pull the teams even at 64-64. Cameron Naylor hit what throughout the
night was a patented 10-foot, baseline jumper for the last of his
team-high 18 points and the Bobcats led 66-64 with 1:23 to play. Texas
State had the ball again a half-minute later, but turned it over, which
preceded Ryan Harrow’s floater in the lane that turned into a
three-point play and a 67-66 lead.
Rockdale
graduate Kevin Ware contested Kavin Gilder-Tilbury’s three-point
attempt at the other end and Ryann Green’s two free throws put the
Atlanta school up by three with 10 seconds to play.
GSU
defended well on the final possession of regulation, guarding perimeter
threats Montalvo and D.J. Brown, but Gant, a junior who hadn’t even
attempted a 3-pointer in 41 games over two seasons with Texas State,
banked in a three from the top of the key to force a second overtime.
The
Bobcats didn’t trail after that. R.J. Hunter had a lay-up in transition
at the 2:50 mark that got Georgia State (9-5, 2-1 Sun Belt Conference)
even at 71-71. But Gant followed with a pair of fadeaway jumpers along
the baseline and it was a 75-72 advantage with 1:50 left.
Hunter,
15th nationally in scoring coming in, struggled throughout the night,
missing 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, including all 10 of his
three-point tries. Two of those long-range misses came in the second
overtime, one of which could’ve tied the game with 1:32 to play and the
other could’ve gotten the Panthers to within one point with nine seconds
to go.
“(Hunter
is) in a really bad slump right now and it’s affecting him mentally,”
said GSU coach and R.J.’s father, Ron Hunter. “He’s just in one of those
slumps that every player has to figure it out. He’s just mentally
frustrated a little bit.”
GSU
forced the initial extra session, thanks to Ryan Harrow (game-high 29
points), who went behind the back with his dribble and converted a tough
lay up with six seconds left to tie the game at 57-57.
“Ryan Harrow really tried to carry us,” said Ron Hunter.
Over
the final four minutes of regulation, Texas State (8-4, 2-1) had
chipped away at a six-point deficit when Montalvo picked up two of his
six assists on a lay-in from Naylor and Brown’s 3-pointer. And after
T.J. Shipes’ baseline dunk and a Markus Crider put back had put GSU back
up by four, the Bobcats erased that deficit as well when Montalvo and
Brown hit consecutive threes, the last of which put the San Marcos
school up 57-55 with 16 seconds to play.
It
was an ugly start to the game as neither offense could get anything
going through the first 12 1/2 minutes, though after five unanswered
points - four of which came from Naylor - Texas State led 10-9 at the
7:40 mark.
GSU
had missed six of its first seven shots, but Ware got the Panthers
going a bit with a lay-up in transition to put them up for the remainder
of the half at 11-10. Later, Ware picked up one of his career-high five
steals and fed Crider for a jumper and the Conyers native added a nice,
pull-up jumper for a 19-15 cushion at the 3:39 mark.
The teams combined for 20 first-half turnovers and GSU held its guest to just 7-of-22 shooting through the first 20 minutes.
There
were 10 lead changes through the first 15 minutes of the second half,
with GSU going up 44-43 on Ware’s lay-up at the 5:04 mark. That was the
last of a 14-point night for Ware, a redshirt-junior transfer from
Louisville, who was coming off a career-high 21 points last Saturday in a
win over Arkansas-Little Rock.
“Kevin did a nice job. I think he’s getting comfortable in what he’s doing now,” Ron Hunter said.
The
Panthers eventually capped a 7-0 run when Hunter grabbed an offensive
rebound and fed Harrow for a three; then Hunter had a steal and lay-up
to make it a 49-43 game with about four minutes to play.
Gant
added 17 points and Brown, 13 for Texas State. Hunter finished with 10
points, while Crider (nine points) was the only other significant
offensive contributor for the Panthers.
“I
think we got a major league wake up call,” Hunter said. “I didn’t think
we played well at all (and) Texas State did a good job. Our whole team
has to play better.”
GSU
has a great chance to get better, and exact a bit of revenge when it
visits Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday. The Ragin’ Cajuns upset the
top-seeded Panthers in the championship game of the Sun Belt Tournament
last March to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Said Hunter: “The week doesn’t get any easier for us.”
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