ATLANTA – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team made things interesting late in the game once again, falling to the Georgia State Panthers by a score of 57-53 at the GSU Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon. The Lions fought back from an 11-point deficit to take the lead with 2:34 left in the game.
 
Georgia State matched its best lead of the game of 11 points at the 14:03 mark of the second half. The Lions then went on a 15-3 run to take a 42-41 lead on a three-pointer by Demarcus Demonia (Fort Washington, Md.). The Panthers responded with a 7-0 run of their own, but the Lions served back with a 9-0 run to take a three-point lead at 51-48 with 2:34 remaining.
 
The game of runs continued as Georgia State scored the next six points and the Lions cut down their deficit to one, but the Panthers made three of their four free throw attempts down the stretch.
 
The Lions fall to 1-4 on the season, but outscored the Panthers, 30-27 in the second half. Georgia State is now 3-2 on the season. A&M-Commerce was led in scoring by C.J. Roberts (Irving – Richland), who came off the bench and scored 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, which was also tied for the team lead, and one steal.
 
Demonia had nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Kalen Williams (Hephzibah, Ga.) and Luka Vasic (Pirot, Serbia) had eight points each for the Lions. Jerome Brewer, Jr. (Elizabeth, N.J.) grabbed four rebounds as well.
 
Georgia State's Dwon Odom led both teams with a scoring total of 20 points. The Panthers outshot the Lions, 41.7 percent to 40.4 percent and 28-20 in the paint, while the Lion bench scored 25 points compared to 20 for the Panthers.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions close out the Capitol Classic on Sunday at 1 p.m. eastern standard time against Eastern Kentucky, who has won both games this weekend.