Six things to consider for GSU vs. UTC

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  • Photo: Ryan Woodham

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Colin Ritsick

Unless something crazy happens tonight against the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Georgia Southern University basketball will likely lose its fifth straight game.

1. Winning ain’t that common for GSU

The Eagles (11-16, 4-8 Southern Conference) have lost the last four games by an average margin of 10.2 points and scored just 62.25 points per game (ppg) in that span.

2. The Mocs are reeling too

The Mocs (16-11, 10-2) have hit a bump in the road as well, having lost three of their last five. But beyond these losses the last time the team dropped a game was Dec. 18 at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

3. Got milk?

Tonight will be all about size; or perhaps, lack thereof. GSU is just too small to compete with the Mocs.

4. Z. Mason, yes that’s his name, is an animal.

The most dominant force for UTC is senior forward Z. Mason. Mason is a 6-foot-6, 235 lb. beast who averages 17.4 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game (rpg). The Eagles simply do not have anyone that can rival his strength and physicality down low.

5. Yo, Kyle, they need you.

The only player that would come close would be freshman forward Kyle Doyle. Doyle is 6-foot-6 as well, but weighs 25 pounds less than Mason. He is not the type of forward that is going to be able to fight with a 235 lb. rebounding machine all game long.

6. Tall perimeter players

Other than Mason, the Mocs start all guards. Of these four guards, two sophomores – Casey Jones and Gee McGhee – stand at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively.

GSU barely has forwards that tall, much less guards.

Junior guard Jelani Hewitt is averaging over 20 ppg, but he is 6-foot-2, 185 lbs. Senior guard Tre Bussey is 6-foot-3 but only weighs 170 lbs. Jones and McGhee both weigh over 200 lbs.

Size has been an issue all season long for the Eagles. But tonight it will not just be an issue – it will be the issue.