JACKSONVILLE, FL – When R.J. Hunter drained a desperation three from about 26 feet to put Georgia State up by one with under three seconds to go, all eyes immediately turned to the star guard’s father–Panthers’ head coach Ron Hunter–to see if he had torn his second Achilles tendon in less than a week after falling out of his chair in celebration… But the elder Hunter could only feel elation moments later after Taureen Prince missed a desperation half-court heave at the buzzer to clinch the Panthers’ gritty 57-56 upset of third-seeded Baylor.
Ball security was a prevailing theme in the contest–the Panthers turned over the Bears 21 times, while only giving it up six times themselves–epitomized by Hunter’s steal and fast-break layup to make it a one possession game with a 1:20 left in the game.
Hunter led the Panthers with sixteen points and three steals.
Prince came off the bench to carry the Bears with eighteen points while pulling down fifteen rebounds.
Tom McCarthy and Donny Marshall called the action on Westwood One Sports.