Mobile, AL – (Contributed) – Freshman guard Royal Blue Smith netted a career-high six three-pointers, but it would not be enough as Arkansas State men’s basketball fell in a 91-87 overtime decision at South Alabama on Thursday night inside The Mitchell Center.
Blue, alongside Jaxon Ellingsworth, led the team with 18 points apiece while Matt Hayman joined the duo in double figures with 15 points. Ellingsworth also recorded a team-leading 13 rebounds to secure his first career double-double, and Hayman and Chandler Jackson tied with a team-high four assists.
As a team, A-State shot 31-for-72 (43.1 percent) from the field, including 13-for-44 (29.5 percent) from three-point range, and 12-for-15 (80 percent) from the free-throw line. The Scarlet and Black held a 51-33 edge on the glass and outscored the Jaguars 50-13 off the bench.
The Red Wolves converted their first three shots of the contest, including back-to-back threes from Hayman, to claim an 8-2 lead 1:27 into play. South Alabama responded with a 13-2 run over the next 6:23, but a three-point basket from Blue sparked an 8-0 run in the Scarlet and Black’s favor.
Ellingsworth countered a second-chance layup from the opposition with A-State’s fifth make from beyond the arc in the half. However, the Jaguars tied the game at 21-21 with a three on the other end before both sides evenly exchanged the next seven points.
Christian Harmon netted a layup to break the 28-28 tie while Ellingsworth added another on the ensuing Red Wolves’ possession to create a two-possession gap. A-State matched the final two scores for South Alabama, including a last-second dunk from Chudi Dioramma to secure a 36-32 advantage at the half.
The opposition scored the first four points out of the break to tie the game, but would not take the lead as the Scarlet and Black opened a 7-2 run. The lead reached five points before a 17-4 run swung momentum into the Jaguars’ favor and resulted in a 58-49 deficit.
Blue landed his third shot from three-point range while an Ellingsworth layup closed the gap to four points. South Alabama erased the effort with a layup plus a three-point play, but Ellingsworth matched the latter on the other end.
Caldwell added a triple before a layup pushed the deficit to 65-60, but a putback dunk for Ellingsworth plus Blue’s fourth three-pointer tied the game with 6:22 to go. Free throws gave South Alabama a three-point advantage before Blue’s fifth three-point make sparked a 7-0 run that created a 72-68 lead.
A three-point play for the Jaguars ended the run, and a make from beyond the arc following two free throws from Jackson tied the game at 74-74 with 2:14 remaining. Blue broke the tie with his sixth three-pointer of the contest, and a transition layup from Hayman gave the Red Wolves a 79-74 advantage.
A half-empty trip to the free-throw line paired with a three-point basket closed the gap to 79-78 with 17 seconds on the clock. Hayman converted two free throws four seconds later, but a second-chance make from three-point range tied the game at 81-81 as time expired.
A putback from Jackson gave A-State an 87-85 edge with 2:20 remaining, but a half-empty trip to the line for the Jaguars made it a one-point ballgame 15 seconds later. The opposition moved ahead 89-87 on a layup at the 1:47 mark and added two more free throws in the final minute.
The Red Wolves were unable to answer during that span, resulting in the first road defeat since Dec. 13 at Rice.
NEXT UP
A-State continues a four-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Troy. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:33 p.m. inside Trojan Arena, and the matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+.