Georgia State Basketball: Panthers punch ticket to 2022 NCAA Tournament

Georgia State Basketball defeated Louisiana Ragin Cajuns 80-71 in the Sun Belt title game. The victory marks the Panthers’ tenth straight win and fourth championship in the last eight years.

Georgia State Basketball has punched their ticket to the big dance for the first time under coach Rob Lanier on Monday night. The former Tennesse assistant took over following the departure of Ron Hunter.

Georgia State entered the Sun Belt tournament as the third seed after finishing 9-5 in conference play. The Panthers’ ride to the championship game did not come easy. They took down No. 6 Arkansas State and No. 2 Appalachian State before facing the No. 8 Ragin Cajuns.

The Panthers were led by senior guard Corey Allen who posted 29 points and was perfect from the charity stripe in the second half.

Georgia State’s lead was cut to three with under eight minutes remaining in regulation when Eliel Nsoseme converted on a crucial three-point play. He contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Panthers.

The Ragin Cajuns were led by Arizona transfer Jordan Brown who added 24 points and eight rebounds. Louisiana became the first team to make the Sun Belt tournament title game with an eighth seed or worse.

The Panthers were sent to the free-throw line seven consecutive times in the final two minutes and fifteen seconds. They made 12 of their 13 attempts from the charity stripe to secure the Sun Belt’s automatic bid.

Georgia State has found success despite facing several challenges this year. They battled COVID earlier this season which resulted in starting off conference play with a 0-4 record and losing five games.

The Panthers will be watching closely this Sunday when they find out who their opponent is in the first round of the NCAA tournament.