Arkansas State opens play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Thursday night when the Red Wolves face Georgia Southern in the third round at 7:30 p.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Arkansas State enters the matchup with a 20-11 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Sun Belt play in head coach Ryan Pannone’s first season. The Red Wolves finished the regular season strong, winning five of their final six games to secure the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament.
Georgia Southern enters the tournament 17-15 overall and 8-10 in the Sun Belt under third-year head coach Charlie Henry.
The Eagles hold a 12-9 lead in the all-time series, but Arkansas State has won four of the last five meetings, including an 85-68 victory in Statesboro on Jan. 22 this season.
Arkansas State is led offensively by Christian Harmon, who averages 12.9 points per game and leads the team with 2.6 three-pointers per contest. Jalen Hampton leads the Red Wolves on the boards with 8.9 rebounds per game, while Chandler Jackson averages 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Statistically, Arkansas State averages 83.2 points per game while allowing 77.1, giving the Red Wolves a +6.0 scoring margin. They also hold a strong +7.7 rebound margin, averaging 41.2 rebounds per game.
Georgia Southern averages 80.7 points per game and is led by Spudd Webb, who averages 15.6 points per game and shoots 50.8 percent from the field.
Arkansas State is seeking its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance since the 1998-99 season. The Red Wolves also secured their third consecutive 20-win season, marking the second time in program history they have achieved that feat.
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