A-STATE/GEORGIA STATE SERIES HISTORY
Arkansas State and Georgia State meet for the second time this season with the Panthers holding a 5-1 edge in the series.
Georgia State defeated A-State 60-54 at the Convocation Center on Jan. 19 to win their fourth-straight in the series. Led by Anthony Livingston's double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, A-State had three players score double figures in the loss to Georgia State. Sean Gardner was 6-of-11 from the field and 4-6 from three and three made free throws helped him post a conference-game high of 19 points. Cameron Golden chipped in with 10 points, but 23 points by R.J. Hunter and 10 from Kevin Ware helped the Panters edge A-State. A-State shot 29 percent (14-49) from the field and 35 percent (7-20) from three while Georgia State hit 36 percent (19-53) from the floor and 30 percent (3-10) from three.
Last season, Georgia State defeated A-State 72-45 in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Kendrick Washington led the Red Wolves with 12 points and 12 boards. Melvin Johnson III scored 10 points to go along with six rebounds.
Georgia State won both regular season meetings last year, including a 79-76 overtime defeat of A-State at the Convocation Center. The Panthers edged A-State 73-72 in Atlanta last year as Cameron Golden's three-point attempt with two seconds left missed the mark.
A-State and Georgia State met 10 days apart in the 1995-96 campaign with the road team winning each matchup. The Panthers took the first meeting (Dec. 9, 1995) by a score of 72-57, but A-State got revenge with a 74-67 win in Atlanta on Dec. 19, 1995.
SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE
Georgia State has won five of their last six games, including a 60-54 victory over A-State on Jan. 19. The Panthers played three of their last four games on the road, only dropping a 74-69 decision at Appalachian State. Thursday, Georgia State picked up an 88-74 victory at UT Arlington to improve to 14-7 overall and 7-3 in league play.
R.J. Hunter (32) and Ryan Harrow (25) combined for 57 points for Georgia State in the win at UT Arlington. Further, the duo had a combined nine assists to four turnovers and were a perfect 13-13 at the free throw line.
Ryan Harrow, who was suspened in the first meeting between the two teams, leads the team averaging 20.6 points. R.J. Hunter, who scored 23 points on Jan. 19 versus A-State, is second on the team averaging 20.4 points. Harrow and Hunter not only lead the team in scoring but the pair has combined for 158 assists, an average of 5.3 per game.
In the post, Markus Crider leads with 6.1 rebounds per game while T.J. Shipes has pulled down 4.6 per game.
As a team, Georgia State averages 74.0 points while holding opponents to 66.0 points. The Panthers shoot 48.9 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from three and 69.7 percent at the charity stripe. Opponents have mustered a slight 34.1 to 32.0 edge in rebounding against Georgia State, largely on the offensive glass with opponents grabbing 257 offensive rebounds.
Ron Hunter is in his fourth season at Georgia State with an impressive record of 76-44. In 21 seasons as a head coach, Hunter has a 350-263 record. Ron Hunter played collegiately at Miami (Ohio) and helped the Redhawks compile an 81-30 record during his four-year career, including three appearances at the NCAA Tournament.
THE PACK COMES BACK
A-State erased an 11-point deficit to come-from-behind and defeat Troy 64-55 on Jan. 24. With the victory, A-State has three wins this season after trailing by 10 or more points in that game. The Red Wolves trailed by 12 in the first half against Marshall, but came back to win. In the Sun Belt Conference opener at South Alabama, A-State trailed by 11 with 16:36, but forced overtime and came away with a 63-60 victory. The Red Wolves trailed Troy 38-27 with 18:08 remaining and left with a 64-55 victory.
The Red Wolves have erased nine-point second half deficits in two games this season, earning a win at Niagara and an overtime win on the home floor against Texas State.
Under head coach John Brady, A-State has erased seven second half deficits of 10 or more points, including two this season.
| Opponent |
Trailed |
Time |
Result |
| Marshall |
8-20 |
11:53 1st H |
W, 67-58 |
| at Niagara |
42-51 |
16:36 2nd H |
W, 74-69 |
| at South Alabama |
30-41 |
16:36 2nd H |
W, 63-60 OT |
| Texas State |
26-35 |
19:49 2nd H |
W, 78-73 OT |
| at Troy |
27-38 |
18:08 2nd H |
W, 64-55 |
STAT TRENDS
A-State is 9-2 this season when grabbing 35 or more rebounds. The two losses came against Toledo (73-65) and UALR (75-65).
The Red Wolves are 8-4 on the season when having fewer three-point attempts in the second half than in the first half. Further, in the 12 games in which A-State has fewer three-point attempts in the second half, the Red Wolves have outscored their opponents 406-366 in the second half alone. In the first half of those games, A-State has been outscored 421-356.
The Red Wolves are 8-3 when 25 or more of their points are inside the painted area. A-State is 8-4 this season when opponents score 30 or fewer points in the paint.
The Red Wolves are 6-1 this season when earning a trip to the free throw line more than their opponents.
A-State is 7-4 this season when Anthony Livingston sinks three or more free throws.
DE-FENSE
When opponents shoot 45 percent (.450) or below from the floor, A-State sports a 9-3 record. Georgia State (35.8 percent), Toledo (41.1 percent) and UALR (44.4 percent) are the three foes to shoot below 45 percent and defeat the Red Wolves. Further, A-State is 8-3 on the season when opponents shoot below 45 percent in the second half.
When the Red Wolves defense limits opponents to 30 percent or below (.300) from three-point range, A-State sports a 7-3 record. Lamar (29.4 percent), ULM (11.1 percent) and Georgia State (30.0 percent) are the three teams to defeat A-State when shooting 30 percent or below from beyond the arc.
BENCH PRODUCTION
The Red Wolves bench scored 20 points against UALR, the 12th time in 20 games that the bench reached double figures.
A 21-point bench performance at ULL is the most that A-State has scored this season and the third time to top 20 points, versus Belhaven (20) and UALR (20).
On the season, A-State's bench has been outscored 456-218, an average of 11.9 points per game.
A-State is 4-1 on the season when the bench is even or outscores the opponent.
KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL A LOT
The Red Wolves have put a lot of mileage on their bodies this season, having traveled 10,574 miles to date. A-State is scheduled to travel 14,372 miles on the season.
In conference play, the Red Wolves have logged 5,694 miles, including a trip of 1,376 miles to Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy last weekend. With trips to Georgia State, Georgia Southern, UALR and Texas State remaining on the schedule, A-State has 3,798 miles to cover in league play.
The Red Wolves non-conference scheduled included a 2,302 mile journey to Niagara and A-State covered 2,578 miles in their road trip to play at Purdue and Toledo. In the non-conference slate, A-State traveled 4,880 miles.
A-State will have traveled more than halfway around the Earth, 14,372 miles of 24,859 miles.
ROAD SUCCESS
Although the travel has been heave, the 2014-15 Red Wolves are on the hunt for the single-season record of eight road wins set in the 1973-74 season.
A-State is 6-5 on the road thus far, picking up a sixth road win Saturday at Troy.
Last year, A-State was 7-7 on the road, just shy of tying the mark.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE LIVINGSTON
Sophomore forward Anthony Livingston has posted five double-doubles in the last six games and earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors for his performances against Appalachian State and Texas State.
Livingston has topped 20 points six times, including two of the last four outings and grabbed 15-plus rebounds in two games this year.
With 10 double-doubles, Livingston is closing in on the most in a single-season dating back to the 2005-06 season. Brandon Peterson had 12 double-doubles in the 2012-13 season and Isaac Wells had 12 in the 2005-06 campaign.
PASSING WITH PJ
A-State redshirt sophomore point guard PJ Hardwick dished out 15 assists and scored 10 points against Appalachian State on Jan. 3rd for his first double-double of the year. His 15 assists tied the Convocation Center record set by Chico Fletcher and was two shy of Fletcher's single-game record.
Ohio State's Shannon Scott, who had 16 assists in a game, is the only player this season with more assists.
With his double-double against Appalachian State on Jan. 3rd with 10 points and 15 assists, Hardwick snapped a streak of 272 games without an A-State player registering a double-double in points and assists. Prior to Hardwick's performance, Derek Tipler's triple-double against Troy on Feb. 1, 2006 was the last time an A-State player had accomplished the feat.
DID YOU KNOW
Sophomore guard Daijon Macklien played football at NCAA Division II North Alabama in the 2012 season
Cameron Golden has switched his jersey number to one for this upcoming season after wearing zero this past 2013-14 campaign.
The Red Wolves have gone 119-straight games hitting a three-pointer. The last time A-State didn't hit a shot from behind the arc was Feb. 24, 2011 when North Texas held the Red Wolves 0-8 from three at the Convocation Center. A-State would win the game without needing a three-point make, 63-47.
A-State has gone 575 games since losing a game in which it scored 90 or more points. The loss came in the 1995-96 campaign, a 101-93 loss at Jacksonville on January 22, 1996.
