Georgia State wins Sun Belt, heads to NCAA tournament

Georgia State is in.

The school qualified for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament by winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship on Sunday.

Georgia State defeated University of Texas-Arlington, 74-61, in New Orleans to claim its second conference championship under head coach Ron Hunter.

"We really worked hard for it," Hunter said in an enthusiastic postgame interview with ESPN. "We're proud of it. Atlanta, Georgia, we're coming home dancing, baby. Atlanta, Georgia, we're coming home dancing."

Georgia State (24-10), the tournament’s No. 2 seed, led by as many as 17 points late in the second half. UT-Arlington (21-13) entered as the No. 4 seed.

The Panthers, who earned the South Region's 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament, will play the No. 2 seed Cincinnati Friday in the opening round in Nashville.

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This year marks the first trip to the Big Dance since 2015, when the Panthers defeated third-seeded Baylor off of R.J. Hunter's clutch 3-pointer with seconds remaining.

Cox Media Group