MONROE, La. – ULM cut a 16-point deficit to as little as two points, twice, but Georgia State held on and pulled back away for a 76-65 win Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
Fifth-year seniors Kierra Crockett and Diamond Brooks were recognized prior to the game. Crockett scored six points while adding seven rebounds with two assists, two steals and one block in her final home game, while Brooks has missed nearly all of the 2021-22 season with an injury.
 
Second-year freshman Kyren Whittington had another career day, scoring a career-high 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting with four rebounds. True freshmen Amaya Ford and Aasia Sam also reached double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Deasia Merrill led three scorers in double figures with 16 points for Georgia State.
 
The Panthers scored the first nine points of the game and exploded out to a 20-4 lead in the first seven minutes. ULM had a 6-0 spurt led by Sam, Whittington and Crockett to get back within 10, 20-10. However, GSU's Elexus Bell hit a turnaround jumper from just outside the lane to take the Panther lead back to 12 after one quarter, 22-10.
 
GSU scored the first four points of the second quarter with Merrill knocking down a layup and Alex Gitchenko sinking two free throws to resume a 16-point lead, 26-10. ULM embarked on a 12-3 run to get back within seven, getting six points from Whittington in the span, to close to within 29-22 on a second-chance layup by sophomore Linda van Schaik with 1:42 left in the half. A layup by Nyla Jean at the buzzer gave Georgia State a nine-point lead at the half, 33-24.
 
The Panthers pushed the lead back to 15 early in the third quarter, going up 39-24. ULM started its rally there, chipping away to get within 11 following four straight free throws from Sam at 41-30 with 4:49 left in the third quarter. An 8-0 run, which included a traditional 3-point play and a 3-pointer from Sam, brought ULM within three at 45-42. After a free throw by GSU's Ashley Foster, Ford drove to the basket and hit the layup to get within two, 46-44, with 2:23 remaining in the quarter. However, GSU scored the next five points to increase the lead back to seven and led by five after the quarter, 53-48.
 
GSU regained a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter as Mikyla Tolivert's layup put the Panthers up 62-52 with 5:46 to play. ULM had one more push, going on a 9-1 run, with seven points from Whittington, including a pull-up jumper from just inside the free-throw line to make it 63-61 with 3:21 left.
 
However, out of a timeout, the Panthers had an answer, closing the game on a 13-4 run to pull back away for the 76-65 win.
 
Georgia State shot 52% from the field (26-of-50) while ULM shot 46% (26-of-56). The Panthers excelled at the free throw line at 71% (22-of-31) while ULM shot 67% from the stripe (12-of-18).
 
The Warhawks open the Sun Belt Conference Championship with Little Rock at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Pensacola Bay Center.