Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Senior guard Jalen Hampton recorded his 10th career double-double and led Arkansas State men’s basketball (12-5, 4-1 SBC) to an 83-82 win over Texas State (9-9, 2-4 SBC) on Saturday afternoon inside First National Bank Arena.
In what was the final regular season matchup as conference foes, the Red Wolves extended their winning streak against the Bobcats to six games, the second-longest in the series. A-State had a minimum of five players reach double figures for the sixth time this season and posted 10-plus offensive rebounds (19) for the 15th contest.
Chandler Jackson led the team with 16 points while Hampton (11), Matt Hayman (14), Joey Chammaa (11) and Jaxon Ellingsworth (10) also reached double digits. Hampton posted a team-leading 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, while Jackson dished a team-high four assists.
As a team the Scarlet and Black shot 26-for-64 (40.6 percent) from the floor, including a 6-for-24 (25.0 percent) clip from three-point range, and 25-for-32 (78.1 percent) from the free-throw line. A-State finished with a 43-32 edge on the boards and outscored the opposition 26-23 off turnovers.
Jackson netted five points in the first four minutes while Hayman, Harmon and Chudi Dioramma contributed with a basket to create an early 11-4 advantage. The Bobcats responded with an 8-4 run, but a triple from Chammaa pushed the advantage to six points at the 12:58 mark in the first half.
The opposition outscored A-State 17-15 over the next 8:26, but Hayman capitalized on a turnover by converting a three-pointer and sparked an 8-2 run that resulted in the first double-digit lead of the contest. The score stood at 41-31 with 2:28 on the clock before Texas State added two layups and a pair of free throws to their total.
Harmon ended the Red Wolves’ scoring drought with a buzzer-beating jumper from the corner to make the score 43-37 entering intermission.
Momentum remained with the Bobcats’ to start the second half, as a 13-5 run closed the gap to one possession at the 14:55 mark. However, eight of the next 12 points fell in A-State’s favor and created a six-point margin, with Caldwell converting a shot from beyond the arc to make the score 58-52.
Two three-pointers and a layup for Texas State closed the gap again and made the score 60-60 with 10:21 to go. The Scarlet and Black broke an even exchange 3:34 later, using a second-chance layup from Chammaa and a transition dunk from Jackson to make the score 70-66.
Three successful trips to the charity stripe kept the lead at four points before Hayman countered a pair of free throws from the Bobcats’ with a three-pointer. The lead reached 81-76 with 1:26 to go following two free throws from Jackson, but a layup on the other end dropped it to one possession.
Jackson added one point from the free-throw line with 22 seconds remaining and Texas State matched it 11 seconds later to make the score 82-79. The Red Wolves converted one-of-two free throws for the second consecutive trip, but the teams remained separated by two possessions.
The Bobcats converted a three-point play with less than a second to go to create a one-point ballgame. However, A-State successfully inbounded the ball on the ensuing possession and ended the game.
NEXT UP
A-State opens a four-game road trip on Thursday, Jan. 15, at South Alabama. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside the Mitchell Center and the matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+.