Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Junior guard Christian Harmon netted a career-high seven three-pointers to power Arkansas State men’s basketball (16-10, 7-6 SBC) past ULM (4-22, 1-12 SBC) in a 103-70 decision on Wednesday night inside First National Bank Arena.
A-State scored 100 or more points against the Warhawks for the first time in series history, and it is the first time either side has surpassed the century mark in the series since 1955.
Harmon led the Red Wolves with 21 points on 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) shooting from beyond the arc. He is the first A-State player to record seven triples in a game since Grantham Gillard shot 7-for-9 (77.8 percent) against ULM on March 7, 2019.
Chandler Jackson was the next highest scorer with 14, while Matt Hayman (13), Aly Tounkara (12), and Joey Chammaa (10) also reached double figures. Chudi Dioramma posted a team-high 10 rebounds, and Jackson dished out six assists.
As a team, the Scarlet and Black shot 41-for-75 (54.7 percent) from the field, including 13-for-32 (40.6 percent) from three-point range, and 8-for-16 (50 percent) from the free throw line. A-State held the advantage in points off turnovers (17-6), points in the paint (56-22), second chance points (22-10), fast break points (17-6), and bench points (37-9).
The Red Wolves scored on their first five possessions and held a 15-10 advantage at the 15:50 mark following a triple from Matt Hayman. The Warhawks closed the gap to three points with a dunk, but Jackson countered with a layup and Harmon connected from beyond the arc for the third time, extending the lead to eight.
A 10-2 run for ULM tied the game at 22-22, but Chammaa stalled the opposition’s momentum with a basket and sparked a 6-0 run that broke the tie. Four of the next six points fell in the Warhawks’ favor before Hayman bookended a 10-0 run with three-pointers to create the first double-digit lead of the game.
The margin reached its first half peak of 16 points with 2:04 remaining, but ULM connected on three consecutive three-pointers and outscored A-State 9-5 beyond that point to make the score 49-37 entering intermission.
Harmon recorded two three-pointers and Jalen Hampton contributed with one of his own during a 10-3 run that opened the second half. The run concluded following two free throws, but Tounkara responded with a layup and dunk on back-to-back possessions to push A-State ahead 63-42 with 16:11 to go.
After both sides evenly split the next 22 points, Jackson netted four in a 6-0 run and capped the stretch with a driving layup. The Red Wolves’ offensive surge continued and the lead surpassed 30 points for the first time when Chammaa converted two free throws at the 4:51 mark.
Royal Blue Smith posted a three-point basket to make the score 93-60 not long after, but ULM countered by scoring six of the next eight points. A-State outscored the Warhawks 8-4 over the final three minutes of action and broke the century mark en route to a second consecutive win by a margin of 30-plus points.
A-State hosts South Alabama on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+, and the radio broadcast can be heard on the Red Wolves mobile app.