WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
* GSU beat rival Georgia Southern 5-3 in the regular season finale
* Panthers finish 9-7 and play Friday in SBC Tournament vs. Southern at 3 p.m. ET
* GSU ranks in the top 10 in scoring in the NCAA with 38 goals in 16 matches
STATESBORO, GA. – Visiting Georgia State claimed a 5-3 Sun Belt Conference win over Georgia Southern to finish second in the league. The 9-7 Panthers (4-1 SBC) will open tournament play in Boone, N.C. Friday against third-place Southern (6-8-1, 3-2 SBC in the 3 p.m. match in the mountains.
Georgia State will head into the tournament on a three-match win streak after the come-from-behind win. The Panthers entered the match No. 10 in the NCAA in scoring (2.20) and should move up after the five-goal effort in this win. GSU has scored 38 goals in its 16 games.
The Panthers pick up a point in the State-Southern Rivalry Series with the win as well. GSU owns an all-time series mark of 22-9-5 in this long-standing series. Southern won last year's Sun Belt tournament match to end a streak of nine matches (7 GSU wins, 2 ties) since its last win in 1997.
Host Southern used the momentum of Senior Night to scored first at 21:59 and then again at 28:19 to make it 2-0. But, Tristen Trevino got GSU on the board at 34:59 on a goal from eight yards out off the assist from Rashid Alarape. A huge goal came with just seven seconds left in the half when a GSU cross was deflected into the net by an Eagle defender. That made it 2-2 at halftime.
In the second half, Rashid Alarape sped through the Eagle defense and nailed a shot from 15 yards seven minutes into the second half. But, Southern found an answer at 72:47 when the Panther GK came out to the 18-yard line to catch a ball and Southern's man got up quicker and headed the ball that then bounced on into the net.
The game-winner then came from Nenad Smiljanic at 74:37 on a free kick from 20 yards out that wrapped like a bullet into the top left corner over the Southern defensive wall. The icing of the match came at 80:50 when Eddie Wilding deftly got deep in the box and then assisted Jad Elkhalil for an open shot from three yards out.
Luke Oesterle got the start in goal to improve his season mark to 3-1 with three saves.
