Panthers Close Road Trip at Rhode Island Saturday

ATLANTA-Looking to build off a pair of wins last weekend, the Georgia State men's basketball team will close out a stretch of four-straight games away from home traveling to Kingston, R.I., to face Rhode Island on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Georgia State (4-1) is looking for a 5-1 start for a second-straight year and will be facing an A-10 opponent for the second time in the first six games of this season. Rhode Island (4-2) is 1-1 all-time against the Panthers as the two schools start a new home-and-home series that will continue in Atlanta next year.

Senior Kane Williams, who earned Legends Classic Tournament MVP recognition last weekend, is averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He recorded his second career double-double last Sunday. He has a chance to becoming the winningest player in program history on Saturday.

Senior Justin Roberts is leading the Panthers averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 13-of-24 from 3-point range. He was named to the Legends Classic All-Tournament Team.

Freshman Ja'Heim Hudson, who has started each of the first five games, garnered his first career double-double last Sunday and is now averaging 5.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Georgia State enters the game No. 18 in the NCAA in steals per game at 11.0 per contest and is No. 19 in turnover margin (6.6). Roberts is No. 17 in the country shooting 54.2 percent from 3-point range.

Broadcast Information

Radio: None
Television: ESPN+

Game Notes
• Georgia State will conclude a stretch of four-straight games away from home traveling to face Rhode Island in the first game of a home-and-home series that will conclude in Atlanta next year.
• The game will mark the second of the year for the Panthers against an A-10 opponent after falling at Richmond on Nov. 16. The Panthers have 14 wins all-time against current A-10 members.
• Georgia State is looking to start the season 5-1 for a second-straight year.
• Georgia State and Rhode Island met as part of a home-and-home series in 2011 and 2012 with each team winning on its home court.
• The Panthers tied a school-record with 21 steals in the win over Brewton-Parker on opening night. Justin Roberts set a career-high with six steals, while Nelson Phillips added five.
• GSU earned the top spot in the annual Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll as selected by the coaches.
• Seniors Corey Allen (1st Team), Kane Williams (Second Team) and Eliel Nsoseme (Second Team) were all selected to the All-Sun Belt Preseason Teams before the start of the season. Allen (Second Team) and Nsoseme (Third Team) earned postseason All-Sun Belt honors last spring.
• Kane Williams broke Terrence Brandon's school record of 531 career free throw attempts last year and now has 577. He is second all-time with 415 made free throws, trailing only R.J. Hunter's school record of 448.
• Williams moved into 7th on GSU's all-time scoring list with 1,305 career points on Tuesday. He is currently 70 points behind Chavelo Holmes for sixth and is 514 points behind R.J. Hunter's school record of 1,819.
• Senior Corey Allen now has 1,665 career points scored which is among the top 25 career active scorers in the country. He has scored 814 of those points in a Panther uniform.
• Senior Justin Roberts now has 936 career points including 807 in a Panther uniform. He and Allen are looking to become the 24th and 25th 1,000 point scorers in program history.
• Georgia State has won 55-straight games dating back to 1999 when scoring 90 or more points.
• Georgia State is under the leadership of third-year head coach Rob Lanier. His .648 winning percentage (35-19 record) is the best of any GSU head coach in their first two years leading the program.
• Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular season conference standings six times in eight seasons.
• During that same time, GSU has won more games (173) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.
Following Saturday's game, Georgia State will return home to face Tennessee State on Wednesday at 8 p.m., live on ESPN+ and WRAS-FM 88.5.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

Eliel Nsoseme: F; 6' 9"; Junior

#10 Nelson Phillips: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#2 Justin Roberts: G; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#12 Kane Williams: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#15 Ja'Heim Hudson: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: G

Eliel Nsoseme
: 6' 9"; Junior
: F

#10 Nelson Phillips
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Justin Roberts
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#12 Kane Williams
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#15 Ja'Heim Hudson
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F