OXFORD, OH-- After winning three matches in a row, and five of their last six contests, Georgia State women's basketball travels to Oxford, Ohio to face Miami of Ohio for the Sun Belt-MAC Challenge on Feb. 10 at 1:00 p.m. GSU is 1-0 in the Sun Belt-MAC Challenge this season after posting a 71-58 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 10, 2023.
STATE IN THE SUN BELT:
> GSU is tied for fourth overall in the Sun Belt after going 8-4 in conference play. The Panthers average 72.6 ppg and 41.6 rpg in conference games.
> The Panthers rank second in the Sun Belt in assists per game (14.2). They rank third blocks per game (3.3) and bench points (24.9 ppg), which ranks 35th in the nation. The Panthers are fourth in the conference in steals (10.2 pg), which ranks top 50 in the nation.
RECAP VS. ARKANSAS STATE:
> Despite missing two key post players, the Panthers notched a 58-56 win over Arkansas State to solidify a three-game winning streak on the season. Mikyla Tolivert notched a team-high 19 points and three steals to lead the Panthers, and Deasia Merrill tacked on a double-double to solidify the win.
SERIES VS. MIAMI (OH): Georgia State and Miami of Ohio are meeting for the first time in program history.
TOP FRESHMAN IN THE SUN BELT:
> Freshman point guard Crystal Henderson, who has seen the most time on the court, is the Panthers' second-leading scorer at 12.0 ppg. She leads the team in assists (4.3 pg), which ranks fifth in the Sun Belt. Henderson is third on the conference in assist-turnover ratio (+1.69). The Marietta, Ga., native ranks sixth in the Sun Belt for steals (2.00 pg).
> Henderson leads all Sun Belt freshmen in scoring and assists. She is ranked fifth nationally among all freshmen in Assists per game.
> The freshman leader has recorded 13 double-digit games, including three 20+ pointers at Clemson (Dec. 16), Troy (Dec. 31) and Georgia Southern (Jan. 24). Henderson notched a career-high 24 points and six free throws in the Panthers' win at Troy (Dec. 31).
> Henderson averages 12.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg in conference play.
PANTHERS TO WATCH:
> Preseason All-Sun Belt guard Mikyla Tolivert leads GSU in scoring (13.9 ppg), and is second on the Panthers' squad for 3-point percentage (.352). The Melbourne, Fla. native is third on the team in free throw percentage (.788), which ranks sixth in the Sun Belt. She is seventh in the conference in steals (2.0 pg), and ranks top 10 in the conference for assists per game (3.6). 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).
> Tolivert came within one point of matching her career-high in the Panthers' road contest at Southern Miss (Jan. 18) after netting 26 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. She also went 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
> Tolivert averages 14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.9 assists per game in conference play.
> Veteran leader Deasia Merrill is the Panthers' second-leading rebounder (6.9 rpg) and ranks second in the Sun Belt for blocks per game (1.25). Merrill is fourth on the Panthers' leaderboard in scoring (9.0 ppg). The 6-1 senior from Villa Rica, Ga., notched her fourth double-double of the season in the Panthers' latest contest against Arkansas state (Feb. 7). She netted a season-high 17 points, 11 rebounds and one assist at South Alabama (Jan. 20). She also tallied a career-high five blocks against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 22). 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.
> Merrill hit her 500th career rebound in the Panthers' latest win over Georgia Southern (Feb. 3).
> Junior post player Alyssa Phillip leads the Panthers squad in rebounding with 7.5 rpg, which ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt. The Norcross, Ga., native has posted double-digit rebounds in five games on the season. She matched her career-high 13 rebounds in the Panthers' contest against Marshall (Jan.11) and Geogia Southern (Feb. 3), which she previously set in the 2022-23 season. She also set a career-high five assists in the Panthers' conference-opening win at Troy (Dec. 31). Phillip averages 4.3 ppg on the season.
> Veteran Christeina Bryan averages 5.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg on the season. The Saint Thomas, Jamaica, native has started at the forward position in all but one conference matchups, averaging 5.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg in Sun Belt play. She missed one game due to injury. 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).
After battling it out in the Sun Belt-MAC Challenge, The Panthers will return home to close out their 2024 home games against Coastal Carolina (Feb. 22) and Old Dominion (Feb. 24).
