BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — Georgia State snapped a four-game skid with a 70-63 men’s basketball victory over Appalachian State on Saturday at Holmes Center. Jelani Hamilton scored 24 points to lead the Panthers, who never trailed after building an early lead. Georgia State led 31-28 at halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. The Mountaineers, favored to win at home, cut the deficit to four points late but could not complete the comeback. Alonzo Dodd led Appalachian State with 19 points. Luke Wilson added 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Panthers improved to 3-10 overall. The Mountaineers fell to 8-6. An announced crowd of 1,711 attended the Sun Belt Conference game.

BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — In a season defined by narrow defeats and frustrating setbacks, the Georgia State Panthers discovered a formula for victory on Saturday night: ride the hot hand of Jelani Hamilton and withstand every Appalachian State rally. Hamilton, a 6-foot-6 junior from Marietta, Georgia, erupted for a game-high 24 points, propelling Georgia State to a 70-63 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball victory over Appalachian State at the Holmes Center. The Panthers, who entered the game with just two wins, improved to 3-10 overall, while the Mountaineers fell to 8-6. The most critical phase of the contest arrived early in the second half. Georgia State had carried a 31-28 lead into halftime, but Appalachian State’s Luke Wilson, who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 33-31. The Mountaineers, buoyed by a home crowd of 1,711, seemed poised to seize momentum. Hamilton, however, single-handedly extinguished the threat. On the ensuing possession, he drove hard to the basket, scored through contact, and completed a three-point play. Less than a minute later, after an Appalachian State miss, Hamilton again attacked the rim, drew another foul, and sank two more free throws. His personal 5-0 burst in a 44-second span pushed the Panther lead back to seven points and established a tone of resilience that would last the remainder of the game. Appalachian State, which had been projected as a heavy favorite by advanced metrics, never led after the opening minutes. The Mountaineers struggled to find consistent offense outside of guard Alonzo Dodd, who led the team with 19 points. They trimmed a 13-point second-half deficit down to six on multiple occasions but could not get any closer, as Georgia State answered each push with a key basket. Hamilton’s supporting cast provided crucial contributions. Micah Tucker added 12 points and five assists, often serving as the facilitator for Hamilton’s scoring bursts. Trey Scott provided a first-half spark off the bench with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while Anthony Enoh anchored the interior with 10 points, nine rebounds and a key block. The Panthers’ defense was equally instrumental, forcing 14 Mountaineer turnovers and limiting Appalachian State to just 35 second-half points despite the Mountaineers’ attempts to accelerate the pace. Georgia State also won the battle on the glass, outrebounding Appalachian State 38-33. For Georgia State, the win snapped a two-game skid and provided a vital confidence boost as conference play intensifies. It marked their first true road victory of the season and was built on the kind of poised, late-game execution that had eluded them in several close losses earlier in the year. Appalachian State, coming off a convincing league win over Coastal Carolina, could not replicate that performance. Beyond Dodd and Wilson’s double-double, Eren Banks added eight points and Kasen Jennings had 10, but the team shot just 4 of 20 from 3-point range and missed 10 free throws, squandering opportunities to close the gap. The game’s total of 133 points fell just under the pregame over/under line of 134.5. Georgia State will look to build on this performance when it returns home to host Columbia on Dec. 28. Appalachian State aims to regroup on the road at Old Dominion on Dec. 31. The two Sun Belt foes will meet again in Atlanta on Jan. 8.

Preview: Struggling Georgia State Visits Surging Appalachian State in Sun Belt Opener BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — A Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball opener on Saturday features teams heading in opposite directions as the Appalachian State Mountaineers host the Georgia State Panthers. The game tips off at 2 p.m. EST at the Holmes Center. Appalachian State (8-5) enters on a four-game winning streak, including a 67-49 conference victory over Coastal Carolina on Thursday. The Mountaineers have found their rhythm after a three-game skid in late November, averaging 88.3 points during their current win streak. A key catalyst has been guard Alonzo Dodd. Over the last three meaningful contests, he averaged 21 points and 5.7 assists, including a 25-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist performance in an overtime win over High Point on Dec. 14. Conversely, Georgia State (2-10) aims to halt a downward spiral. The Panthers have lost eight of their last nine, including a 90-67 road loss at Georgia Southern on Thursday. Their defense has been a persistent issue, allowing 90 or more points in four of their ten losses this season. The Panthers will lean on leading scorer Jelani Hamilton, who is coming off a 19-point effort against Georgia Southern and scored 23 in the team’s most recent win over Jacksonville State on Dec. 13. The matchup pits Appalachian State’s momentum against a Georgia State team desperate for a turnaround to salvage its nonconference struggles. The Mountaineers will look to protect their home court, where they are 5-2 this season, while the Panthers seek their first true road win. This is the first of two regular-season meetings. The teams will meet again in Atlanta on Jan. 8. Following this game, Appalachian State visits Old Dominion on Dec. 31. Georgia State hosts Columbia on Dec. 28.