Arkansas State found its rhythm early Tuesday night and never loosened its grip, rolling past UT Arlington 83-63 inside First National Bank Arena. The Red Wolves move to 6-3 on the year, using a strong first-half surge to separate and keep control the rest of the way.Jalen Hampton led the way with a season-best 19 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting night, knocking down both of his looks from deep. Jaxon Ellingsworth was nearly as sharp, scoring 18 on 5-of-7 from the floor with two triples and six free throws. Matt Hayman finished with 12 and crossed the 1,000-point mark in his college career while Christian Harmon and Chandler Jackson each added 11. Jackson also steered the offense with seven assists.
A-State shot just under 50 percent for the night and made 21 trips to the free-throw line count. On the other end, the Mavericks never got comfortable, held to just 1-of-19 from three the lowest percentage by a Red Wolves opponent this season.
UT Arlington led briefly at 106 before Arkansas State answered with a 90 run sparked by a Hayman alley-oop and a pair of defensive stops. From there, the Red Wolves turned defense into offense, stretching the lead to 39-21 at the break behind 14 points off turnovers.
The Mavericks made small pushes in the second half, trimming the margin to 11 before A-State responded again Jackson scoring at the rim, Ellingsworth knocking down his second three, and the lead swelling back to 20. UT Arlington never got closer than 14 down the stretch, and the Red Wolves closed it out behind late buckets from Hayman and Hampton.
Up Next:
Arkansas State travels to Little Rock on Saturday, Dec. 6, with an 8 p.m. tip from the Jack Stephens Center. The game streams on ESPN+, with radio coverage on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network and the Red Wolves mobile app.
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