Deasia Merrill scored 22 points and Mikyla Tolivert had a double-double with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds but 12th-seeded Georgia State fell 66-56 to No. 5 seed Old Dominion in the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament Wednesday in Pensacola, Fla.
After falling behind by 16 with nine minutes to play, the Panthers (12-21) rallied to pull within two points with three minutes left. Tolivert, who was 12-for-13 at the free throw line, hit a pair of foul shots to cut Old Dominion’s lead to 55-53 with 3:04 on the clock. On the Monarchs’ next possession, Jada Duckett was fouled on a offensive rebound, made the first throw and missed the second, but ODU grabbed another offensive rebound, leading to a layup and three-point play by Jordan McLaughlin and a 59-53 lead with 2:30 left.
Credit: AJ Henderson / Sun Belt Conferen
Credit: AJ Henderson / Sun Belt Conferen
Tehya Lyons answered for Georgia State with a layup and one free throw to make it 59-56 with 2:08 left, but Jatyjia Jones scored for ODU (21-11), and the Panthers could get no closer.
Merrill, a junior post player, went 9-for-15 from the field and 3-for-3 at the line and also grabbed six rebounds. Lyons, a senior, chipped in 10 points.
Georgia State knocked off South Alabama in Tuesday’s opening round.
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