Men's Basketball 2/18/2021 3:01:00 PM

Panthers Host Troy in Key Weekend Series

ATLANTA-After missing a pair of games due to COVID-19 protocols, the Georgia State men's basketball team will return to the court on Friday and Saturday hosting Troy for a pair of games at the GSU Sports Arena.

With five games to play in the next nine days, Georgia State (9-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) stands just two games out of first place in the Sun Belt Conference East Division standings. The top two teams in the division will get a bye into the quarterfinals of the conference championship in Pensacola, Fla., next month. Troy (10-12, 4-8 Sun Belt) enters play having lost three-straight, 3.5 games out of first place.

The last time out, Georgia State topped in-state rival Georgia Southern 79-75 as Eliel Nsoseme picked up his third double-double of the season and Justin Roberts scored a team-high 21 points to score a four-point win over the Eagles.

Georgia State continues to be led by Nsoseme who is averaging a double-double of 12.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He is currently fifth in the NCAA shooting 66.0 percent from the floor. He is third in the nation averaging 4.75 offensive rebounds per game and No. 15 in rebounds per contest.

Senior Corey Allen leads the Panthers in scoring averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is just two points shy of 1,500 points for his career and is among the top 50 active scorers in the country.

Roberts is averaging 14.9 points per game, while senior Kane Williams, who became the 23^rd Georgia State player to score 1,000 career points earlier this year, is averaging 12.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.

Having broken the century mark three times already this season, the Panthers enter Friday's game averaging 81.6 points per game which ranks No. 19 in the NCAA. Georgia State is also 21st in the nation in assist/turnover ratio and No. 40 in field goal percentage.

Broadcast Information

Radio: GSU Mobile App/TuneIn Radio
Television: ESPN+, PbP: Dave Cohen, Color: Lamont McIntosh
Live Stats: GeorgiaStateSports.com

Game Notes
• Georgia State, the most successful team in the Sun Belt since returning to the league for the 2013-14 season with 92 wins during that time, has missed 9 games this year due to COVID-19 protocols, including Tuesday's make-up game at Troy.
• Three of those missed games were to be against Troy including Tuesday's match-up serving as one of the make-up games. The last two games missed were due to contract tracing with a Georgia Southern player from last Thursday's game.
• Last time out, the Panthers topped the Georgia Southern 79-75 last Thursday night as Eliel Nsoseme recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 points, and redshirt-junior Justin Roberts scored a team-high 21 points.
• Georgia State holds a slim 20-19 lead in the all-time series, however Troy has won 8 of the last 11 match-ups.
• Georgia State entered the week No. 23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
• Georgia State has scored 100 or more points in three games this year, matching the school record for times going over the century mark in a season (1988-89 and 1991-92).
• GSU is currently ranked No. 19 in the NCAA averaging 81.6 points per game, while holding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.39 which ranks No. 22 in the NCAA. GSU is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor which ranks No. 40 in the nation.
• Eliel Nsoseme is No. 3 in the NCAA averaging 4.75 offensive rebounds per contest and No. 15 averaging 10.4 rebounds per game. He grabbed 20 rebounds against Mercer and has recorded three double-doubles. He is also shooting 66.0 percent from the floor which ranks 6th in the country.
• Corey Allen is shooting 45.2 percent from deep which ranks No. 8 in the NCAA. He is currently ranked No. 45 among active scorers in the nation with 1,498 points.
• Kane Williams is one of four active Sun Belt players with career totals of at least 1,000 points (1,118), 250 rebounds (345) and 250 assists (351). There are 59 active NCAA Division I players with those milestones.
• Williams, an All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team member, enters with 1,118 career points, 16 shy of Ryan Harrow for 16th on GSU's all-time list. He is the 23rd Panther to reach the milestone.
• GSU's win over Georgia Tech, the Panthers earned their first win ever over an ACC opponent and third over a Power 5 opponent in the last three years. GSU set school records for points scored (123), combined points (243), fouls (37), combined fouls (65) while playing the first triple and quadruple overtime game in school history.
• Also in the win over Tech, four Panthers (Allen, Nsoseme, Roberts, and Williams) each scored 20 or more points marking the first time in program history that feat has been accomplished in a game.
• In Georgia State's win over Carver, the Panthers set school records for field goals made (51) and assists (34) while seven players scored in double figures, tying a school record.
• Since returning to the Sun Belt in 2013-14, Georgia State has finished in the top two of the final regular season conference standings five times in seven seasons.
• During that same time, GSU has won more games (162) than any other NCAA Division I team in Georgia.
• Georgia State is under the leadership of second-year head coach Rob Lanier. His 19 wins in his first year at the helm is the third-most by a first-year head coach in program history.
• GSU was selected to win the East Division of the Sun Belt this year in the annual preseason poll by the coaches and media.

Following this weekend's games, Georgia State will remain at home and host Appalachian State at the GSU Sports Arena on Tuesday (5 p.m.), live on ESPN+, the GSU Mobile App, and TuneIn Radio.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#1 Eliel Nsoseme: F; 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior

#2 Justin Roberts: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#12 Kane Williams: G; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#11 Corey Allen
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#1 Eliel Nsoseme
: 6' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#2 Justin Roberts
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#12 Kane Williams
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G