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November 13, 2004
NORTH ALABAMA UPSETS
DIVISION I GEORGIA STATE, 85-83, IN EXHIBITION GAME
ATLANTA, Ga. -- North Alabama
rallied from a 15-point deficit to surprise Georgia State, 85-83, in
an exhibition game at the GSU Sports Arena.
Georgia State led by three points, 83-80, with 32 seconds to play.
North Alabama guard Pervis Key banked home a three-point shot from
the top of the key to tie the game with 11 seconds left. When
Georgia State called time out with seven seconds left, the visiting
Lions pressed guard Herman Favors and stole the ball with less than
a full second on the clock as a foul was called on Favors. Key then
stepped to the free throw line and made the first of a one-and-one
to produce the upset for North Alabama.
Georgia State had led by as many as 15 points in the first half at
40-25 and again at 44-29 with 3:50 left in that half. But, North
Alabama went on a 10-0 run to close that halftime gap to just 44-39.
In the second half, the hosts from State built the l ead back up to
nine points at 57-48 with 14:52 to go and led by six points, 67-61,
with 8:38 to play. North Alabama got a pair of three-point baskets
by Milton Nance to tie the game and it was a see-saw affair to the
finish. North Alabama was led
by forward A.J. Gordon's 19 points, Pervis Key's 17 points and
Javier Palacios' 13 points. The Lions hit eight-of-18 three-point
shots with three in the final eight minutes.
Kevin Thomas led Georgia State with 25 points with six-of-seven
three-point baskets, while, D'Andre McGrew chipped in with 15
points, Marcus Brown added 13 points and Herman Favors scored 11
points. State hit 13-of-23 three-point baskets (56.5 percent).
After poor shooting in its first two exhibition outings, North
Alabama shot 52.5 percent from the floor, hitting 32 of 61 shots.
The Lions also made eight of 18 three-point attempts. |
