ATLANTA, GA-- After winning four of the its last six contests, Georgia State continues conference play at the GSU Convocation Center by hosting App State on Jan. 13 at 2:00 p.m..
> The Panthers defeated Texas State 64-55 in game three of conference play. Mikyla Tolivert led GSU with 18 points, two blocks and two steals, while Crystal Henderson followed with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Panthers' win over the Bobcats broke a three-game losing streak on the series against Texas State.
> GSU opened conference play with an overtime win over Troy on Dec. 31 after Mya Williams hit a buzzer beater to put the Panthers up 90-89. Mikyla Tolivert hit the tying 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation to extend the game into an extra period.
> The Panthers rank third in the Sun Belt in blocks (3.6) and bench points (25.4 ppg), which ranks top 50 in the nation. GSU is fourth in the conference in 3-point percentage (32.9) and steals per game (11.0), and is fifth in the Sun Belt in assists (14.2 pg) and forced turnovers (19.92 per game).
> GSU clinched its first Power Five win since 2008 after defeating Clemson 78-72 on the road on Dec.16.. Mya Williams led the Panthers with a season-high 21 points and three assists. Freshman Crystal Henderson put up a then season-high 20 points and five 3-pointers.
PANTHERS TO WATCH:
> Preseason All-Sun Belt guard Mikyla Tolivert leads GSU in scoring (14.8 ppg) and free throw percentage (.860), which ranks third in the Sun Belt. The Melbourne, Fla., native is second on the squad in 3-point percentage (.396) and ranks top ten in the conference for assists per game (3.3). Tolivert notched a double-double with a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, and sunk a career-high five 3-pointers in the Panthers' conference opener at Troy (Dec. 31).
> Freshman point guard Crystal Henderson, who has seen the most time on the court, is the Panthers' second-leading scorer at 11.6 ppg while leading the team in assists (4.4 pg), which ranks fifth in the Sun Belt. The Marietta, Ga., native also ranks in the top ten in the Sun Belt for steals (1.8 pg), and is second in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (+1.86). Henderson leads all Sun Belt freshmen in scoring and assists. The freshman leader notched a career-high 24 points and six free throws in the Panthers' win at Troy (Dec. 31).
> Veteran leader Deasia Merrill is the Panthers' second-leading rebounder (6.2 rpg) and ranks third in the Sun Belt for blocks per game (1.45). The 6-1 senior from Villa Rica, Ga., tallied a career-high five blocks against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 22, 2023. Merrill was second on the team in the 2022-23 season with 13.6 points per game, along with a team-leading 7.2 rebounds. She ranked 11th in the Sun Belt in scoring and 10th in rebounding.
> Junior post player Alyssa Phillip, who has seen the second-most time on the court, leads the Panthers squad in rebounding with 7.3 rpg, which ranks in the top 15 in the Sun Belt for rebounds per game. The veteran forward matched her career-high 13 rebounds in the Panthers' most recent contest against Marshall (Jan.11), which she previously set in the 2022-23 season. She also set a career-high fve assists in the Panthers' conference-opening win at Troy (Dec. 31). Phillip averages 3.6 ppg on the season.
> Veteran guard Kamryn Dziak averages 3.6 ppg and 0.9 rpg on the season. The graduate ranks top ten in the program after tallying 111 career 3-pointers. Dziak recorded a career -high four steals in the Panthers' victory against LaGrange (Dec. 19). The graduate Panther missed the 2022-23 season due to injury after averaging 4.8 points in 2021-22.
> Veteran Christeina Bryan averages 4.4 ppg and 3.1 rpg. The 6-1 forward has started the last seven contests for GSU, averaging 6.8 ppg over the last seven games. Bryan notched a career-high nine rebounds at Clemson (Dec. 16). She also tallied a career-high 19 points and two blocks in the Panthers' victory over LaGrange (Dec. 19).
> The Panthers' cast of newcomers includes experienced transfers such as Patience Williams (USF), Mya Williams (Hutchinson C.C.), Erin Turral (Stony Brook), Aniya Palmer (Mississippi State) and Kaleigh Addie (Xavier) as well as promising freshmen like Crystal Henderson (Kell High School), Eghosa Obasuyi (Carrollton) and Aaliyah Hunt (Peachtree Ridge).
SERIES VS. APP STATE: Georgia State and Sun Belt conference foe App State are meeting for the 23rd time in program history. The Panthers are 9-12 on the series after falling 63-55 to the Mountaineers on the road on Dec. 9, 2023.
> The Panthers are 4-7 on the series at home. The last time GSU hosted App State, the Panthers defeated the Mountaineers 64-56 on Jan. 26, 2023.
After hosting App State, GSU heads out of town for a four-game series, including matchups at Southern Miss (Jan. 18), South Alabama (Jan. 20), Georgia Southern (Jan. 24) and Old Dominion (Jan. 27).
