ATLANTA?Leonard Mendez scored a career-high 29 points and Rashad Chase added 17 points and a career-best 16 rebounds as Georgia State defeated Troy, 97-92, Saturday at the Georgia State Sports Arena, giving Rod Barnes his first victory as the Panthers' head coach.
Georgia State (1-3) led by as many as 26 points midway through the second half, then had to withstand a Troy rally as the Trojans (1-3) pulled within three in the final minute before freshman D.J. Jones sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.
“I am happy to get a win tonight against a very talented team,” said Barnes. “We had some breakdowns late in the game, mostly because we turned the ball over too much, but we were determined to get the victory. When you see this type of effort from a team, there is no question that we are becoming a stronger team.
“Our players were very hungry for a win, and it showed in how we came out and attacked the basket in the first half.
“Give credit to Troy. They play a unique style, and they're going to keep playing their game and keep shooting threes no matter what the score is.”
Mendez, the junior from Smyrna, Ga., equaled his career-best with six three-pointers and also grabbed four steals, but he was limited to just five minutes in the second half as he was suffering from cramps.
“After two tough games, it was good to see Leonard come out tonight and be really aggressive. He created and capitalized on his scoring opportunities,” said Barnes.
Georgia State shot a season-best 47.5 percent from the field, hit 30 free throws and outrebounded Troy, 57-33. Chase led the way with his 16 boards, and sophomore Ousman Krubally also had a career best with 14 rebounds, along with nine points.
“It was very good to see our big men win the battle in the trenches tonight,” said Barnes. “I tell Rashad all the time that he has to continue to play bigger than his size and get double-figure rebounds every night.”
Trae Goldston added 15 points for the Panthers, and Kevin Lott recorded career highs with 11 points and seven rebounds.
State built a 49-34 lead at the half with Mendez pouring in 21 points in the period. The Panthers continued to add to their lead, building a 73-47 advantage with 11:56 to play before Troy began to chip away. State still led by 14 with 5:41 on the clock before the Trojans scored seven straight points to pull within 87-80 with 4:30 to play.
Goldston's layup at the 2:21 mark re-established State's 10-point lead at 80-70, but Troy quickly cut it to three as Jerome Odem's three-pointer made it 92-89 with 1:25 left. Jones hit one free and then Lott made a pair for the Panthers before another another Odem trey pulled Troy within 95-92 with 20 seconds left. After a Georgia State turnover, Troy had two three-point attempts for the tie before Jones grabbed the rebound, got fouled and hit the clinching free throws. The freshman point guard from Hinesville, Ga., finished with six points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.
O'Darien Bassett led Troy with 19 points and Jerome added 17. State held the Trojans to 39 percent from the field as Troy attempted 34 three-point field goals, below its average of nearly 40 per game.
The Panthers return to action Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. game at Jacksonville.
