Georgia State races by UL Monroe, 58-50
MONROE, La. (AP) Ryan Harrow scored a season-high 31 points to help lead Georgia State past UL Monroe 58-50 on Thursday night to keep pace with Georgia Southern atop the Sun Belt Conference standings.
R.J. Hunter added nine points and a career-high nine assists for the Panthers (21-9, 14-5), who have won six of seven and secured a double bye in the first round of the conference tourney with the win.
Georgia State trailed 29-26 at the break and by eight, 41-33, midway through the second half. But the Panthers roared back, ripping off a 16-2 run capped by a Hunter 3-pointer to steal the lead away for good with 7:39 left. Louisiana-Monroe never got closer than three the rest of the night.
DeMondre Harvey led the Warhawks (19-11, 13-6) with 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
Georgia State will meet Georgia Southern on Saturday with the conference regular-season title on the line.
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Georgia Southern defeats UT Arlington 76-64
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) Jelani Hewitt scored 18 points and Georgia Southern took another step closer to a Sun Belt Conference championship with a 76-64 victory over UT Arlington on Thursday night.
Mike Hughes added 16 points, Eric Ferguson 15 and Jake Allsmiller 10 for the Eagles (21-7, 14-5), who rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit.
Georgia Southern plays its final regular-season game at Georgia State on Saturday, with the co-leaders facing off for the regular-season title and top seed to the conference tournament.
Jamel Outler scored 23 points and Lonnie McClanahan 14 for the Mavericks (16-13, 10-9), who shot 62.5 percent in the first half but cooled off to 46.2 percent overall with 25 turnovers.
The Eagles scored 11 unanswered points to take a 53-47 lead with 10:45 left. They maintained the lead and Hewitt made four free throws over the final 1:32 to ensure the win.
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Appalachian State hangs on to beat Texas State 67-64
BOONE, N.C. (AP) Chris Burgess scored 15 points to lead four in double figures as Appalachian State held on to beat Texas State 67-64 on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers led 55-44 with 9:44 to play before Texas State answered with a 13-2 run to pull within 57-56 with 3:05 remaining. Burgess hit a key 3-pointer to stretch the Mountaineers lead to 64-58 with :51 left. The Bobcats made three straight layups and the Mountaineers hit 3 of 4 from the line to make it 67-64 with 13 seconds remaining, leaving the door open for the Bobcats.
Texas State's Ethan Montalvo's 3-point attempt hit the rim, and Emani Gant grabbed the carom but couldn't get off a shot as time expired.
Jake Babic and Frank Eaves scored 13 points apiece and Tommy Spagnolo chipped in 12 for Appalachian State (11-17, 8-11 Sun Belt Conference).
Kavin Gilder-Tilbury led Texas State (13-15, 7-12) with 17 points.
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Williams lifts South Alabama to 81-76 win over Arkansas State
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) Ken Williams scored seven of South Alabama's final eight points to help the Jaguars take an 81-76 victory over Arkansas State on Thursday night to clinch a berth into the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Arkansas State rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit to tie the game on two free throws from Cameron Golden with 2:49 remaining. Williams hit a 3-pointer and added another basket to lead 78-73. Golden made a 3-pointer to make it a two-point margin with 1:13 left before Taishaun Johnson made a free throw and Williams added two more.
Dionte Ferguson scored 20 points for the Jaguars (10-20, 8-11 Sun Belt). Williams added 18, Johnson 17 and Abdul Lewis 15.
Anthony Livingston scored 22 points and had nine rebounds for Arkansas State before fouling out with 2:17 left. Sean Gardner added 21 points and Cameron Golden 15.
The Red Wolves (11-17, 6-13) were eliminated from the postseason.
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UL Lafayette holds off UALR 75-69
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) Devonta Walker scored 15 points, hitting 9 of 10 from the line, to help UL Lafayette to a 75-69 win over UALR on Thursday night.
Jay Wright contributed 14 points and Shawn Long added 13 to go with nine rebounds as UL Lafayette (18-12, 12-7 Sun Belt) missed just one of its 23 free throws and controlled the boards 39-21 to extend its win streak to five.
The Ragin' Cajuns edged into an 11-9 lead with Xavian Rimmer's layup early in the first half and never let it go. UALR (13-17, 8-12) tied the game at 37 with a 3-pointer from J.T. Thomas early in the second half and then at 45 on Mareik Isom's 3 with 11:52 left, but couldn't overtake UL Lafayette.
Roger Woods led the Trojans with 17 points, Thomas finished with 14 and Josh Hagins had 12.