ATLANTA, GA -- Kaleigh Addie scored a season-high 17 points to lead the Panthers to a 82-72 win over defending Sun Belt champions James Madison on Wednesday.
"I'm really proud of how we came out as a unit, mentally prepared to play today," head coach Gene Hill said. "Anytime you can get a win against the defending champs, you have to be proud."
Led by Addie, the Panthers (12-8, 6-4) had five players score in double figures, including Crystal Henderson with 15 points, a career-high eight assists and three steals. Christeina Bryan helped out with 14 points, eight rebounds and a career-high two steals, and Mikyla Tolivert tacked on a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Georgia State pulled down 37 rebounds in Wednesday's game compared to JMU's 34, led by Mikyla Tolivert's 11 boards.
Georgia State forced 17 JMU turnovers while committing 16 themselves in Wednesday's game. The Panthers turned those takeaways into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. Henderson's three steals led the way for Georgia State.
How It Happened
After falling behind 18-13, Georgia State went on a 6-0 run with 2:28 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Tolivert, to take a 19-18 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Georgia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 19 points close to the basket.
JMU fought back to tie the game at 23-23 before Georgia State went on an 8-0 run starting at the 6:45 mark in the second period to take a 31-23 lead. The Dukes then came roaring back to take a 36-35 lead heading into halftime.
Georgia State came out of halftime rallying and had constructed a 51-48 lead before going on a 6-0 run to expand its lead further to 57-48 with 18 seconds to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Dukes had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Panthers still entered the fourth quarter with a 57-50 edge. Georgia State played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 22 points in the paint.
Georgia State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Henderson's jumper, to grow the lead to 66-52 with 5:49 to go in the contest. The Dukes narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Panthers still cruised the rest of the way for the 82-72 win. Georgia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 14 of its 25 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» Mikyla Tolivert notched a double-double for the Panthers with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
» Addie notched a career-high six free throws after posting a 1.00 average at the line. She averaged 62.5 percent from the field.
»The Panthers have won four of their last five contests.
» Georgia State recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» The Georgia State bench came alive by scoring 26 points to its scoring output.
» Five Georgia State players scored 10 or more points.
» Georgia State had a 37-34 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Georgia State defense forced 17 turnovers.
» The Panthers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Kaleigh Addie led the Panthers with 17 points.
» Georgia State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Mikyla Tolivert.
The Panthers are back in action on Jan. 3 as they host the Georgia Southern Eagles at 1:00 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
