Arkansas State put on a shooting clinic Tuesday night in Jonesboro, rolling past Arkansas Tech 107-63 inside First National Bank Arena.
The Red Wolves, now 10-4 overall and 2-0 in Sun Belt play, knocked down a season-high 17 three-pointers and forced 27 turnovers in the lopsided win over the Wonder Boys. The victory also extended A-State’s home winning streak against non-conference opponents to 14 games and marked the first time in school history that both the men’s and women’s programs have reached double-digit wins before Jan. 1 in the same season.
Matt Hayman and TJ Caldwell paced the Red Wolves with 17 points each, while Christian Harmon and Joey Chammaa added 13 apiece. Jaxon Ellingsworth finished with 12 points and Royal Blue Smith chipped in 11, giving A-State six players in double figures. Harmon also handed out a career-high six assists, as the Red Wolves racked up 24 assists as a team.
After a slow start that saw Arkansas Tech take an 8-5 lead early, A-State seized control with a 15-0 run sparked by a Chammaa drive to the basket. The Red Wolves continued to capitalize on Tech turnovers and pushed the lead past 20 midway through the first half. A-State carried a commanding 51-25 advantage into the break after forcing 17 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half followed much the same script. A three-pointer from Blue pushed the lead to 30, and a late surge that included a fast-break dunk by Aly Tounkara and a three from Fredy-Salam Sylla sent the Red Wolves past the century mark. Caldwell capped the scoring with a layup in the final seconds to seal the 44-point win.
As a team, A-State shot 56.5 percent from the floor, nearly 45 percent from three-point range, and outscored Arkansas Tech 62-23 in bench points.
The Red Wolves return to action Saturday, Jan. 3, continuing a four-game homestand against James Madison. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at First National Bank Arena, with the game airing on ESPN+.
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