Simonds scores 29 to keep Georgia State in first place

ATLANTA (AP) — D'Marcus Simonds scored 29 points with four 3-pointers and Georgia State beat Georgia Southern 81-72 on Saturday to stay in first place in the Sun Belt Conference.

Simonds was 10-of-20 shooting and the Panthers (17-6, 7-2) also shot 50 percent as a team while making 10 of 27 3-point attempts. Kane Williams added 19 points, Malik Benlevi 12 and Jeff Thomas 10.

Quan Jackson scored 20 points with three 3-pointers to lead the Eagles (13-9, 5-4). Isaiah Crawley added 15 and Tookie Brown and Simeon Carter 11 each. Montae Glenn grabbed 10 rebounds.

Georgia State scored 20 points off 15 Eagles turnovers.

Trailing 37-31 at halftime, the Eagles took their first lead of the second half with 15:18 left after a 3-pointer by Jackson. The lead changed hands 11 times after that, the final time when, down by one with 4:13 to go, Georgia State finished the game on a 13-3 run, including six free throws by Williams.