Houston, TX – (Contributed) – Arkansas State men’s basketball (7-4, 0-0 SBC) held the lead with one minute remaining at Rice (5-6, 0-0 American), but a late burst of offense from the opposition resulted in a 77-76 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Chandler Jackson led the team with 17 points and was joined by Jaxon Ellingsworth (15), Matt Hayman (12), and Royal Blue Smith (10) in double figures. As a team, the Red Wolves shot 30-for-61 (49.2 percent) from the floor, 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) from three-point range, and 12-for-19 (63.2 percent) from the free throw line.
A-State held a 43-37 edge in rebounds and outscored the opposition in the paint (48-32) and on fast breaks (14-9).
Ellingsworth recorded a layup and two free throws to highlight a 6-0 run that opened the contest. The Owls closed the gap to one possession with 16:42 on the clock, but Hayman connected on a jumper to make the score 10-6 before both sides evenly split the next 20 points.
The Red Wolves mounted another 6-0 run and claimed an eight-point advantage before a hookshot plus a triple for Rice closed the gap to 26-23. The next field goal for either team fell at the 2:16 mark as Blue ended the 5:43 span with a score.
The layup fell during a 7-2 run for Rice and resulted in a 31-30 score, but a jumper from Christian Harmon extended the advantage to three with one minute left. Chudi Dioramma added free throws before a last-second three-pointer from the Owls made the score 35-33 at intermission.
A-State countered the Owls’ score to open the second half with a 16-0 run. Fredy Salam-Sylla converted the lone three-pointer of the stretch while Blue posted back-to-back layups to create a 51-35 advantage. Rice scored 14 of the next 21 points, but the Scarlet and Black countered with a 7-0 run capped by Jackson’s three-point play and took a 65-49 lead at the 8:13 mark.
The opposition outscored A-State 15-4 over the next 3:51 and cut the lead to five, but Jackson connected on a layup to stall their momentum. Hayman responded to a layup with one of his own on the ensuing possession, but the Owls ended a 2:18 scoreless stretch with a three-point basket to make the margin four points.
A critical defensive stop following a turnover sent A-State to the line with 50 seconds left. A 1-of-2 result at the charity stripe was followed by a three-pointer on the other end as one point separated the scoreboard. The opposition capitalized on another missed free throw by landing a three-point basket to take a 75-74 lead.
Two free throws for the Owls were nullified by a layup from Jackson, and a turnover gave the Red Wolves possession with six seconds left. A foul on the inbounds play sent A-State to the free-throw line for a one-and-one, but the first would not fall as the opposition secured the rebound and ran out the clock.
NEXT UP
A-State remains in the Lone Star State for a matchup against Texas State on Wednesday, Dec. 17, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. inside Strahan Arena. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+
