The Sports Inquirer

By E. Marcel Pourtout, Editor

Behind a double-double from forward Markus Crider, the Georgia State men’s basketball team won its fourth-straight game with a 74-43 home victory over Arkansas State at the GSU Sports Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers (15-7, 8-3 Sun Belt) have now won six of their last seven games while the Red Wolves (9-12, 4-8 Sun Belt) have now lost five straight games to Georgia State.

Crider had 14 points, career-high 11 rebounds and game-high five assists. It was his fourth double-double of the season.

Senior guard Ryan Harrow recorded his 1000th point with Georgia State in the win. He’s the 19th Panther to reach this milestone and the second-quickest in program history. Harrow has achieved this mark in two years. He finished the contest against Arkansas State with a game-high 21 points.

Georgia State shot 49.1 percent from the field, converting only one out of eight three-pointer attempts. The Panthers outrebounded the Red Wolves 43-27 in the win.

R.J. Hunter had 11 points and a game-high five steals in the victory. Curtis Washington came off the bench for the Panthers and scored 12 points in 18 minutes of action.

“I thought our guys did a nice job and handled themselves well today,” Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter said. “It was a good win and one we needed. With only nine games left, we know we have to take care of business at home if we want to have a chance to reach our goals. My team is starting to play its best basketball, especially on the defensive end.”

Anthony Livingston had a team-high 10 points and six rebounds for the Red Wolves while Sean Gardner scored nine.

Georgia State got off to a hot start, scoring the first 10 points of the contest and forcing Arkansas State to miss its first seven shots from the field. A three-pointer from Cameron Golden broke the Red Wolves scoring drought nearly eight minutes into the first half. The Panthers took a 34-18 halftime lead into the locker room.

The Panthers dominated the rest of the first half, particularly on the defensive end, holding Arkansas State to a 21.7 shooting percentage from the field.

Georgia State shot 59.3 percent in the first half with Harrow scoring a game-high 10 points. Crider grabbed a game-high five rebounds and scored six first-half points.

Gardner scored a team-high seven points for Arkansas State in the first half. He finished the game with nine points.