HARRISONBURG, VA -- Mikyla Tolivert totaled 20 points to help lead the Georgia State women's basketball team over the JMU Dukes 73-62 on the road Thursday, marking the first four-game Sun Belt Conference win streak for the Panthers since the 2018-19 season.
"I feel like our girls came out focused and ready to battle," head coach Gene Hill said. "Mikyla has been a big leader all year, and she comes out and lays it on the line every time."
Tolivert added five assists and two steals to her 20 point game to lead the Panthers (15-9, 9-4). Mya Williams helped out with 15 points and Deasia Merrill chipped in with six points and seven rebounds.
Merrill pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Georgia State, grabbing 18 boards and turning them into 14 second chance points.
Georgia State forced 13 JMU turnovers. The Panthers turned those takeaways into 10 points on the other end of the floor. Erin Turral led the way individually with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 10-7, Georgia State went on a 5-0 run with 4:16 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Christeina Bryan, to take a 12-10 lead. The Panthers then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with an 18-14 advantage. Georgia State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 18 points.
The Panthers could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 33-30.
After intermission, Georgia State cut its deficit to 34-33 before going on a 5-0 run to grab a 38-34 lead with 7:34 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 54-52 edge. Georgia State turned three offensive rebounds into six second chance points on the way to scoring 24 total points in the quarter.
Georgia State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 67-62 before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Patience Williams' layup, to grow the lead to 73-62 with 52 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Georgia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 19 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Panthers held the Dukes to only 38.5 percent shooting from the field.
» Georgia State had a 48-37 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Georgia State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Georgia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 18 offensive boards in the game.
» Mikyla Tolivert led the Panthers with 20 points.
» Georgia State got a game-high 8 rebounds from Alyssa Phillip.
The Panthers look to keep their streak alive as they travel to Boone, N.C. to face App State on Feb. 17 at 2:00 p.m.
