Athens, OH – (Contributed) – The Arkansas State men’s basketball team (1-0, 0-0 SBC) erased a seven-point second half deficit to take down Ohio (0-1, 0-0 MAC) in an 89-85 victory on Monday night at The Convocation Center.
Chandler Jackson and Joey Chammaa led the team with 21 points apiece while the latter posted a team-high 17 points in the second half. Chammaa converted a team and career high of four three-pointers on seven attempts in the contest.
As a team, A-State shot 27-for-56 (48.2 percent) from the floor and 10-for-27 (37.0 percent) from beyond the arc while converting 25-of-28 (89.3 percent) free throw attempts. The Red Wolves outrebounded Ohio 41-25 and tallied 13 boards on the offensive glass.
The Red Wolves trailed 12-9 through the first 7:59 of action, but TJ Caldwell converted a stepback three-pointer to break a 3:16 scoreless stretch and tied the contest. Free throws from Jaxon Ellingsworth were followed by a jumper from Jackson, and Caldwell capped a 12-0 run with another triple to make the score 19-12 at the 10:33 mark.
The Bobcats added a free throw before Jackson responded with the Red Wolves’ third three-point bucket before momentum shifted to the opposition. A 20-0 run spanning 6:33 created an 11-point deficit, but back-to-back layups from Joey Chammaa and Jalen Hampton put the Red Wolves back within two possessions.
Royal Blue Smith closed the gap to 35-31 with a layup and three-pointer, but Ohio ended the half with four of the final five points.
Both teams evenly exchanged the first 14 points of the second half before two free throws paired with a triple from Chammaa cut the score to 48-46 with 16:26 to go. The Bobcats responded with back-to-back scores to widen their advantage, but the Scarlet and Black refused to go away.
A-State made it a one-point ballgame following an and-one from Jackson, but would not take the lead until Chammaa drained a triple with 9:07 on the clock. The Bobcats erased the 68-66 lead with two layups, but Ellingsworth notched the next four points to tie the contest once again.
A three-point play for the opposition was countered with Chammaa’s third three-point bucket of the evening, and he converted two more free throws to establish a 77-75 advantage at the 3:54 mark. The next six points would be scored from the free throw line before Ellingsworth ended the streak with a three-pointer that extended the lead to five.
Ohio’s last rally bid resulted in an 87-85 score with seven seconds remaining, but Jackson netted both free throws to put the game out of reach. The victory is the first for head coach Ryan Pannone at the collegiate level, and he becomes the first head coach to win in his A-State debut since Dickey Nutt defeated Abilene Christian on Nov. 25, 1995.
NEXT UP
A-State travels to Nacogdoches, TX, to face Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
