STATESBORO — The Georgia Southern men’s basketball team could not pull out a win against rival Georgia State behind a slow offensive performance in the second half.

In front of a sold-out crowd, GS broke their winning streak at home. The Eagles went into the break up by five, but were outscored 42-32 in the second half. GS held the lead for about 34 minutes but in the final minutes, the team could not put the game away.

Top performers

Redshirt-senior guard Ike Smith led both teams with 23 points, followed by senior forward Isaiah Crawley’s 13 points.

Key stat

GS went over three minutes without scoring, which allowed the Panthers to lessen their deficit in the final few minutes of regulation.

Key Play

GS shot 59% percent from the free throw line in the second half. Two missed shots by Smith in the final ten seconds gave the Panthers an advantage, as those points would have forced the game into overtime.

Notables

The loss broke the tie with GSU in conference standings and put the Eagles tied with Arkansas State in third place, with the Panthers in second.

The State bench scored 28 points compared to GS’ 17.

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Managing Sports Editor, gasports@georgiasourthern.edu