Coming off last week’s heartbreaking overtime loss to St. Francis, the Georgia State Panthers look to bounce back as they travel to Livingston, Alabama, to take on the Tigers of West Alabama. Fourth quarter scoring and defense have both been a problem all season for the 2-7 Panthers. Not only have the Panthers surrendered 92 points in the fourth quarter, but have also scored just 13 points.
Last week was a prime example as the Panthers took a 14-point lead into the fourth and were outscored 17-3 in the final frame, en route to an overtime defeat. For Coach Curry and the Panthers, the final two regular season contests may be building blocks towards next season as they look to not only take care of their fourth-quarter business, but to inspire confidence going in to the offseason.
Kelton Hill will once again get the start at quarterback for the Panthers. Hill has provided more stability at the position for the team, which throughout much of the first half went through a quarterback carousel. Drew Little will be eligible to return this week after being inactive for the St. Francis game due to academic violations.
In order to take down the Division II Tigers, the defense must play better, particularly in stopping the run. The Panthers surrendered 258 rushing yards in last week’s loss to St. Francis and face a West Alabama offense averaging 227 yards per game on the ground. The attack likely will be led by RB Matthew Willis, who has averaged 123 yards per game to go along with 13 touchdowns. Stopping the run will be imperative if the team is to collect its third victory of the season.
Coach Hunter’s First Recruiting Class a Solid One
In his first season as head basketball coach, Ron Hunter is quickly making a name for himself as he signed four talented recruits in the 2012 class, including his son. RJ Hunter picked Georgia State over programs such as Wake Forest and Iowa, and he will finish his high school career at Pike High School in Indianapolis before joining the Panthers for the 2012-13 season. The 6-6 shooting guard averaged 14.2 points per game and showed remarkable range from behind the three-point arc, shooting 39 percent.
T.J. Shipes, a local product of Buford High School, is a 6-8 power forward who helped lead the Wolves to a 24-9 record last season, including a berth in the Class AA State Championship Game. Shipes averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game during his junior season and the Panthers hope his solid low-post game translates well to their style of play. Shipes chose Georgia State over Utah, Tennessee, UAB, and Old Dominion, among others.
Also joining the Panthers is David Travers, a 6-1 point guard from California, who averaged 12 points and seven assists per game. Coach Hunter feels that Travers will be able to fit well into the Panthers’ system. Cameron Solomon is the final member of the class. The Lovejoy High School product began his college career at High Point University before moving on to a junior college. During his senior year at Lovejoy, Solomon averaged 24 points per game as a guard.
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