Game 419 - Georgia State at Mississippi

November 17 at The Pavilion in Oxford, MS
SEC Network

GSU just can't seem to find a way to beat an SEC team & it's getting extremely frustrating.

The winless streak against the conference reached nine after a double-digit lead turned into a 77-72 defeat Friday evening.

It was a different story offensively in the second half for the Panthers, who shot 53 percent (16-for-30) from the field and were 5-of-8 from three in the opening half to grab a 44-36 lead at the break, but just 34 percent (8-for-23) and 3-of-13 from three in the final 20 minutes.

Mississippi started the second on a 10-0 run and though GSU briefly took the lead back, Breein Tyree's 3-pointer with 12 minutes to go gave the hosts the lead for good.

It was a 73-70 deficit with 20 seconds left when, with two really good long range shooters on the floor in Devin Mitchell and Jeff Thomas, freshman Kane Williams missed the first 3-pointer of his collegiate career that pretty much ended the Panthers' hopes. There were a ton of reasons Georgia State came up short - 17 turnovers, the poorer shooting in the second half, the fact that the referees called the visitors for an absurd 30 fouls - so it seems a bit silly to pick on one play. But that possession in that situation and you get that shot? It just can't happen.

GSU led by as much as 11 points in the opening half with Simonds using one strong drive after another to collect 19 of his game-high 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Simonds tried to do a bit too much, I think, in the second half and it cost him a couple times on charge calls (he had seven of GSU's 16 turnovers). Mitchell and Thomas each knocked down three 3-pointers, but Mitchell, in his second year after transferring from Alabama, took only two shots in the second half. That's not nearly enough.

I'm expecting a really good year from Thomas and Friday he played well. The junior played 39 of the 40 minutes and just missed a double-double (14 points, nine rebounds).