Devonta White scored 16 of his career-high 23 points in the second half as Georgia State pulled away to defeat McNeese State 69-50 on Friday night for their first victory under new coach Ron Hunter.
Josh Micheaux had 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for the Panthers (1-3), who held a 48-33 rebounding advantage over the Cowboys (1-2). Jihad Ali had a career-best 14 rebounds for Georgia State and James Vincent grabbed 10 rebounds.
Leading 33-31 with 16:22 left, the Panthers used a 13-3 run over the next 6:32 to build a 46-34 advantage. White keyed the run with two free throws and a three-point play, and Vincent scored four points.
Dontae Cannon's 3-pointer for McNeese State with 9:11 remaining ended a scoreless streak of 5:27 by the Cowboys.
The Panthers shot 50 percent (14 of 28) after making just 29.4 percent (10 for 34) in the opening half.
