Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Five Red Wolves reached double figures on the scoreboard as Arkansas State men’s basketball returned to the win column with an 86-74 victory over Troy on Wednesday night inside First National Bank Arena.
Christian Harmon (18) led the Red Wolves’ offense while Chandler Jackson (17), Jaxon Ellingsworth (14), Matt Hayman (13), and Joey Chammaa (11) also surpassed 10-plus points in the contest. Jalen Hampton led the team with seven rebounds while Hayman posted a team-high four assists.
As a team, the Red Wolves shot 26-for-58 (44.8 percent) from the floor, 12-for-30 (40 percent) from three-point range, and 22-for-29 (75.9 percent) from the free-throw line. A-State held a 44-30 edge on the glass and outscored the opposition 35-16 off the bench.
The Red Wolves built a 10-3 advantage behind makes from the field and beyond the arc plus five free throws, and did not allow a field goal on the other end until the 12:51 mark. The next four makes, all three-pointers, were evenly split between the two sides before the Trojans posted a 12-3 run to claim a two-point lead.
Back-to-back successful trips to the free-throw line pushed A-State in front while a layup from Hayman paired with a three-pointer for Harmon made the score 28-21 with 5:43 to go. Harmon and Jackson added three points from the charity stripe to create a 10-point advantage, and the duo countered a make from beyond the arc with two baskets to maintain the double-digit lead.
Troy closed the gap to six points entering the final minute, but back-to-back triples from Caldwell and Harmon extended the lead back into double digits before a jumper from Jackson made the score 45-32 entering intermission.
A-State opened the second half with a 10-3 run and secured a 55-35 lead at the 14:52 mark. The opposition outscored the Red Wolves 11-9 over the next 3:47, but a defensive stalemate followed a three-point basket from Ellingsworth.
Action picked up again with 8:30 on the clock as both sides split the next six points. Troy opened a 14-7 run and closed the gap to 74-63 with 3:20 remaining, but Harmon’s fourth three-point basket of the game increased the margin to 14 points at the 2:31 mark.
A-State did not yield the advantage beyond that point and secured the program’s first win of 2026.
NEXT UP
A-State concludes a four-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 10, against Texas State. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena, and the matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+.
