Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Arkansas State men’s basketball attempted to rally from a double-digit deficit versus Old Dominion, but fell just short in a 75-71 defeat on Wednesday night inside First National Bank Arena.
Christian Harmon led the team with 20 points while TJ Caldwell (14) and Jalen Hampton (12) also reached double figures. Hampton led the team with 12 rebounds to secure his fourth double-double in the last five games, and Chandler Jackson matched a career best for assists with eight.
As a team, the Red Wolves shot 25-for-60 (41.7 percent) from the field, including 10-for-30 (33.3 percent) from three-point range, and 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) from the free-throw line. A-State held a 42-33 edge on the glass and outscored the opposition 26-9 off the bench.
Harmon and Caldwell sparked the Red Wolves’ offense with two three-pointers apiece and pushed the Red Wolves ahead 20-19 at the 8:49 mark. The Monarchs responded with a 10-2 run over the next 2:36, opening a seven-point gap that would stand past the five-minute mark.
Hayman matched a layup with one of his own and sparked an 8-0 run that put A-State within one point of tying the game. Old Dominion scored on back-to-back possessions in the final minute of the first half, but a foul on Harmon’s three-point attempt resulted in three makes at the charity stripe.
With two seconds on the clock, the opposition inbounded the ball and converted a shot from the half-court line, resulting in a 38-33 deficit entering intermission.
The Red Wolves trailed 46-37 with 17:26 on the clock before scoring six of the next eight points to shrink the margin to five. The Monarchs countered with nine of the next 13, and extended the deficit to double digits for the first time with 12:51 to go.
Momentum shifted when Jackson bookended a layup from Chudi Dioramma with one of his own plus a three-pointer. A jumper for Old Dominion broke the 7-0 scoring run, but Joey Chammaa converted a shot from beyond the arc to make the score 59-57.
The Red Wolves remained in pursuit of their first lead since the 8:49 mark of the first half, as Hayman’s first three-pointer of the game plus a free throw tied the game at 61-61. Both sides evenly exchanged the next four points, but the opposition registered the next five to break the tie.
A-State trailed by six with 2:05 remaining, but Harmon recorded a make from three-point range and added a free throw on the next offensive possession to make the score 70-68. The Monarchs added three free throws in the final minute before Harmon registered his fourth three-point basket of the game with 12 seconds left.
With the score at 73-71, Old Dominion added two free throws six seconds later, and A-State did not respond as the contest drew to a close.
A-State faces Marshall on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2:00 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Red Wolves mobile app.
