Local

Georgia State books ticket to NCAA tournament, will face Houston in first game

Georgia State Panthers are prepping for the men's basketball postseason. 

NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Panthers are going dancing! Georgia State defeated UT-Arlington in the Sun Belt championship to earn an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA tournament Sunday.

It is their second straight Sun Belt title and the team’s third tournament appearance since 2015. The Panthers earned a 14 seed in the Midwest region. They will face Houston in Tulsa on Friday.

Georgia State’s 2015 appearance is most memorable for the program’s upset over No. 3 seed Baylor. Coach Ron Hunter famously fell off his stool as he watched his son R.J. Hunter nailed the game winner with 2.6 seconds left.

Last year, the Panthers earned a No. 15 seed and lost in the first round to Cincinnati, 68-53.

TRENDING STORIES