Dancing again: Georgia State wins Sun Belt tournament to punch March Madness ticket

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Break out your dancing shoes, Georgia State fans: The Panthers are going back to the NCAA Tournament.

No. 3 seed Georgia State defeated Louisiana-Lafayette, 80-71, to win the Sun Belt Conference tournament for the fourth time in eight years.

It is the sixth time in program history that Georgia State will play on college basketball’s biggest stage and the fourth since 2015.

In the conference championship Monday, four Panthers scored in double digits.

Corey Allen scored a game-high 29 points and went perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Allen was named the Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Performer.

Eliel Nsoseme finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for Georgia State. Jalen Thomas scored 12 points and Kane Williams added 10.

The Panthers have won 10 straight games and 12 of their last 13. Georgia State’s 10-game streak is tied for the third-longest in program history.

Georgia State will learn its seed in March Madness when the bracket is revealed at 6 p.m. on Selection Sunday.

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