STATESBORO -- Lucas Taylor scored 20 points and Brenden Tucker added a season-high 19 points, but Georgia State could not contain hot-shooting Georgia Southern in an 86-70 loss Saturday at Hanner Fieldhouse.

Georgia Southern (4-15, 4-3 Sun Belt) went 17-for-32 from 3-point range to even the season series after Georgia State's 90-62 win last Saturday in Atlanta.

Tucker had his best game of the season, gonig 5-for-8 from the field and 9-for-11 at the free throw line for his 19 points, his most since scoring 20 at Georgia Southern last season. Taylor, the Panthers' leading scorer, had 20 today but was just 1-for-9 on 3-pointers. Toneari Lane added 17 points, including four 3-pointers.

When Georgia State has been at its best this season, the Panthers get balanced scoring throughout the lineup, but today, Taylor, Tucker and Lane combined for 56 of the 70 points.

Georgia State (9-9, 4-3) led 15-12 eight minutes into the game when the Eagles seized control with a 17-0 run, taking a 29-15 lead with 6:35 left in the first half. The Panthers answered by scoring nine straight, all by Tucker, to pull within 29-24 before the Eagles took a 43-31 advantage into the locker room.

In the second half, a bucket by Tucker made it 55-50 with 14 minutes left, but the Eagles responded with two straight 3-pointers, and Georgia State could not manage another run.

"We absolutely got our [tails] kicked," head coach Jonas Hayes said. "Georgia Southern came out with a whole lot more fight than we did. I absolutely cannot remember us playing this poorly both offensively and defensively. We weren't tough enough, we got zero 50-50 balls, we didn't have the connectiveness that necessary to win at this level. Seventeen 3-pointers ... unconscionable."

Leslie Nkereuwem pulled down five rebounds today, including the 500th of his career. Jay'Den Turner grabbed seven rebounds, snapping his string of six straight games with double-figures on the boards.

The Panthers play the third of four straight road games next Wednesday at Marshall.