NASHVILLE - Despite 27 points from D’Marcus Simonds and overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit, No. 15-seed Georgia State fell to No. 2-seed Cincinnati on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.
Trailing by 10 with just under 15 minutes to play, Georgia State (24-11) responded with a 13-2 run to take a 45-44 lead with just over 10 minutes to play. Unfortunately, Cincinnati (31-4) came right back with a 10-0 run and the Panthers run in the Big Dance came to an end.
Simonds, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, finished 10-of-20 from the floor with four rebounds, while senior Isaiah Williams added 10 points including back-to-back 3-pointers during Georgia State’s second-half run.