GEORGIA STATE (8-7, 3-1) vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (2-14, 2-2)
Saturday, Jan. 13 | 5 p.m. | GSU Convocation Center 

TICKETS: GeorgiaStateSports.com/tix
WATCH: ESPN+
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THE TIPOFF: Georgia State takes a 3-1 record in Sun Belt Conference play into Saturday's rivalry game against Georgia Southern. The Panthers and Eagles tip off at 5 p.m. Saturday at the GSU Convocation Center. The teams will complete their home-and-home next Saturday in Statesboro.

> On Thursday in Atlanta, Toneari Lane tied his career high with 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with two minutes left, as Georgia State rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit for a 77-70 win over Old Dominion. Dwon Odom approached a triple double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jay'Den Turner grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds for his fourth-straight game in double digits.

> The Panthers have won four of their last five games.

> In Georgia State's back-to-back wins over South Alabama and Old Dominion, Toneari Lane has averaged 21.5 points while going 11-for-24 from 3-point range. Lane scored 20 points at South Alabama (6-for-12 3P) and followed with 23 points (5-for-12 3P) vs. ODU. Earlier this season, he scored 23 points, his career high, in each of the back-to-back wins over Little Rock.

> Jay'Den Turner leads the Panthers and ranks No. 5 in the Sun Belt with 8.9 rebounds per game, along with 10.9 points. He has opened Sun Belt play with four straight double-figure rebounding games, including three double doubles: 13 ppts/12 rb vs. Arkansas State; 15 pts/11 rb vs. Southern Miss; 11 pts/10 rb vs. South Alabama; 9 pts/15 reb vs. Old Dominion.

> Dwon Odom, the Preseason All-Sun Belt guard and GSU's top returning scorer, is averaging 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds (second on team) and 4.5 assists per game. He is second in the Sun Belt in assists and first in assist-to-turnover ratio at +2.7.

> Odom is the only Sun Belt player who is averaging at least four assists AND five rebounds per game. He has three double-figure rebounding games, and he approached a triple-double vs. Old Dominion with 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

> Dwon Odom is off to a strong start in Sun Belt play, averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists  while shooting 52.4 percent from the field. He scored a season-high 24 points against Arkansas State, including the deciding free throws with 7.8 seconds left. 

> Four of the Panthers' top five scorers are transfers: Lucas Taylor (13.8), Toneari Lane (13.5), Jay'Den Turner (10.9) and Leslie Nkereuwem (7.9). Dwon Odom is third on the team at 11.7 ppg.

> Lucas Taylor is the Panthers' leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt. The Wake Forest transfer poured in a career-high 27 points in the 77-70 win at Western Michigan and 22 points in the win at South Alabama. He has reached double figures in every game but two.

> Toneari Lane, the transfer from Winthrop, is second in the Sun Belt with 2.9 3-pointers per game and second in percentage at .333. He is averaging 17.0 points in Sun Belt games.

> Senior guard Brenden Tucker, another Preseason All-Sun Belt selection, reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career vs. Middle Georgia State. He averaged 12.9 ppg for the Panthers last season after scoring 569 points in three seasons at Charleston. 

CHARITY CASE: Georgia State leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 24 in Division I in free throw percentage at .768. 

> Dwon Odom leads the Sun Belt at .898 (No. 22 in D. Lucas Taylor is second on the team at .857.

SERIES NOTES: Georgia State has won four of the last five against Georgia Southern and holds a 13-7 lead against the Eagles during the Sun Belt era, beginning in 2014-15.

> The teams split a pair of meetings last season. After Georgia Southern won 58-52 on Jan. 21 in Statesboro, the Panthers answered with a 64-60 win on Feb. 2 in the GSU Convocation Center. Brenden Tucker led Georgia State with 20 points, and Jamaine Mann added 18 points and seven rebounds.

> Georgia Southern leads the overall series, which goes back to 1971-72, 39-27.

> Georgia State has won 13 of the last 16 meetings in Atlanta, and the Panthers are 16-12 against Georgia Southern on their homecourt, including 1-0 at the GSU Convocation Center.

COMEBACK CATS: In their 93-90 overtime win at Little Rock (Nov. 22), the Panthers rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half after trailing 61-44 with 14 minutes to play. That is GSU's largest second-half comeback since overcoming a 22-point second-half deficit to win at Alabama in 2018-19. Toneari Lane, who scored 23 in the game, started the comeback with nine straight points on back-to-back treys and then three free throws. Jay'Den Turner had 16 points and eight rebounds, including six of GSU's 10 points in overtime. In one sequence, he hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, grabbed a steal, made a layup and then drew a charge. 

> The Panthers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit in their 77-70 win over Old Dominion. GSU trailed 41-21 with four minutes left in the first half before pulling within 12 points, 45-33, at the half. In the second half, the Panthers steadily got closer, finally taking the lead on Toneari Lane's jumper that put GSU up 65-64 with 5:20 to play. After ODU answered on its next possession, Lucas Taylor completed a 3-point play for a 68-66 lead with 4:24 left, and GSU never trailed again. Lane's 3-pointer with two minutes left broke a 70-70 tie and sent the Panthers to the win.

PRIDE OF THE PEACH STATE: Georgia State is the winningest Division I college basketball team in the state of Georgia since the 2011-12 season.

> Since the start of 2011-12, Georgia State has won 61 percent of its games with a record of 242-153.

> Georgia State's 242 victories are more than Mercer, the next best team in the state with 234 wins during that time. The Panthers also easily outpace Georgia Southern (205), Georgia (203), Georgia Tech (193) and Kennesaw State (119).

> Georgia State has made four NCAA Tournament appearances in the last decade; the other five Division I programs have combined for four NCAA appearances in that time (Georgia-1, Georgia Tech-1, Mercer-1, Kennesaw State-1).