Georgia St. advances in CAA tournament

Junior guard Joe Dukes had 15 points and a career high-tying 12 rebounds and senior guard Leonard Mendez added 12 points to lead Georgia State to a 54-41 victory over Delaware in Game 1 of the opening round of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship at the Richmond Coliseum Friday. Dukes had a pair of three-point field […]

March 6, 2009; 10:12 PM • by FTRea

Junior guard Joe Dukes had 15 points and a career high-tying 12 rebounds and senior guard Leonard Mendez added 12 points to lead Georgia State to a 54-41 victory over Delaware in Game 1 of the opening round of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship at the Richmond Coliseum Friday.

Dukes had a pair of three-point field goals and a free throw during a 15-6 scoring run that raised the Panthers’ 22-18 halftime lead to 37-24 eight minutes into the final half. He also finished with five assists and two steals in 37 minutes.

Mendez had eight first-half points and finished with two rebounds and a steal in 38 minutes.

The win sends eighth-seeded Georgia State (12-19) into a noon Saturday quarterfinal meeting with top-seeded VCU (21-9), which had a first-round tournament bye.

Ninth-seeded Delaware completed its season with a 13-19 record.

Georgia State led 19-12 during the first half before scoring only three points during the period’s final five minutes and settling for its 22-18 halftime advantage.  Mendez had eight of the Panthers’ first 17 points.

Dukes hit for a three-pointer on the initial possession of the second half and made another four minutes into the period during Georgia State’s 15-6 scoring run.  Delaware scored six straight points to get to within 37-31 with nine minutes left, but Mendez broke the run with a layup for a 39-31 Panther lead with 8:52 to play.

Delaware got to within 40-33 with 6:24 left on senior forward Jim Ledsome’s rebound and dunk, but the Blue Hens didn’t get another field until Georgia State had upped its lead to 52-38 with less than two minutes to play.

Georgia State shot only 35.2 percent (19-54) overall and 23.1 percent (3-13) from the foul line but had a 45-34 rebounding advantage and committed only nine turnovers.  Senior forward Rashad Chase had a game-high 13 rebounds and seven points for the Panthers.

Delaware shot just 28.0 percent (14-50) overall and 9.5 percent (2-21) from three-point range.

Senior forward Marc Egerson and sophomore guard Alphonso Dawson each had 11 points for the Blue Hens. Egerson also had nine rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes.

– The above information was provided by Rob Washburn with the CAA

March 6, 2009 10:12 PM 0