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Quote:Panthers Win Fourth Straight, 81-63 over UNCW


ATLANTA-Manny Atkins and R.J. Hunter scored 19 points each and Devonta White added 17 as Georgia State won its fourth straight game with an 81-63 victory over UNCW Wednesday at the GSU Sports Arena.

By winning their fourth game in eight days, the Panthers improved to 10-11 overall, 5-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

UNCW's Keith Rendleman tied his season high with 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double, but the Seahawks fell to 7-11, 2-4 CAA.

Georgia State shot 51 percent from the field, and the Panthers forced 17 turnovers, which they converted into 30 points.

Hunter, one of the nation's top scoring freshmen, also contributed six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.

Atkins, the reigning CAA Player of the Week, had four assists, four steals and four rebounds to go along with his 19 points. The top three-point shooter in the conference hit three of five from beyond the arc.

The Panthers again got strong contributions from their bench, including Markus Crider, who had six points, a career-best 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

After trailing early, Georgia State took a 42-33 lead at the intermission. The Panthers shot 50 percent in the first half, including 7-for-15 from three-point range. GSU led by as many as 19, but a late 7-0 run by the Seahawks cut into the lead.

UNCW pulled within six at 46-40 early in the second half, but back-to-back treys by White and Hunter, sandwiched around a Seahawk bucket, pushed the Panthers lead to 52-42. UNCW never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.