Georgia State women’s basketball drops home contest to LaSalle, 76-68

By E. Marcel Pourtout, Editor

The Georgia State women’s basketball team dropped its home contest in the Hoops and Holiday Classic finale against LaSalle 76-68 at the GSU Arena on Saturday evening.

The loss drops the Panthers to 5-4 while the Explorers improved to 8-3.

Makeba Ponder had a game-high and career-high 22 points in the loss for Georgia State. Brittany Logan earned a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Overall, the Panthers shot 43.4 percent from the field, making three out of 11 three-pointer attempts.

Micahya Owens scored a team-high 20 points for LaSalle along with five rebounds. Indigo Dickens had 12 points for the winning team.

Both teams struggled from the free-throw line with Georgia State making only 19 of 28 and LaSalle converting only 19 of 27 at the stripe.

With the scored tied at 38-38 at halftime, the Panthers started the second half on an 8-4 run to take a 46-42 lead.

LaSalle kept pace with Georgia State and a layup by Dickens gave the Explorers a 61-60 lead with five minutes left in the contest. The Panthers responded quickly on their next possession as Ponder hit a three-pointer in the left corner, allowing them to retake the lead 63-61.

A jumper by Dickens with 3:30 gave LaSalle the lead again 65-63 with 3:30 to go. The Explorers wouldn’t relinquish the lead the rest of the way.

Georgia State finished the first half on a 12-1 run to tie the game at halftime, 38-30. LaSalle only made one of its last 13 shot attempts in the first half.

Logan had a game-high 12 points and eight rebounds at the half for the Panthers. Ponder chipped in 11 points. Georgia State shot 46.4 percent from the field in the first half, attempting only three three-pointer attempts. The Panthers converted 11 of 16 free-throws.

Owens also had a game-high 12 points for LaSalle in the first half. The Explorers shot 38.2 percent from the field at the half and made six three-pointers.