Late Surge Lifts Red Wolves Past Coastal Carolina
Arkansas State men’s basketball delivered when it mattered most Wednesday night, closing the game on an 11-3 run over the final minute to pull out a 70-66 road win over Coastal Carolina inside the HTC Center.
The victory marked the Red Wolves’ seventh road win of the season, leaving Arkansas State (14-10, 6-6 Sun Belt) one shy of the program record set during the 1973-74 season and later matched in 1986-87 and 2024-25. A-State has now posted seven or more road wins in a season seven times since the 1963-64 campaign.
Christian Harmon led the way with 16 points, while Joey Chammaa added 13 and Matt Hayman chipped in 12 to give Arkansas State three players in double figures. Jalen Hampton anchored the glass with a team-high 12 rebounds, marking his fifth straight game with double-digit boards, and Chandler Jackson handed out a team-leading five assists.
Arkansas State shot 23-of-61 (37.7 percent) from the field, including 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from three-point range, and went 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) at the free-throw line. The Red Wolves held advantages in the paint (28-20), off turnovers (22-19) and bench scoring (20-19).
After falling behind 4-0 early, Arkansas State responded with a 9-0 run and held Coastal Carolina scoreless for nearly five minutes. Back-to-back three-pointers from Chammaa and TJ Caldwell extended the lead to 17-8 before the Chanticleers answered to trim the margin to 17-14 with 7:33 left in the half.
A three-point play from Chammaa preceded a Coastal Carolina run that tied the game at 20-20. Both teams found rhythm offensively late in the half, with the Chanticleers edging A-State 9-7 over the final three minutes to take a 29-27 lead into the break.
The teams traded baskets early in the second half before Harmon connected from deep and scored inside to give Arkansas State a 40-39 advantage. Coastal Carolina answered with a 10-5 run, building a four-point cushion with just over eight minutes remaining.
Chammaa scored five straight points to keep the Red Wolves close, but a 7-2 Chanticleer spurt pushed the deficit to its largest at 59-52. Arkansas State chipped away and made it a one-possession game with just over three minutes to play, though Coastal reclaimed momentum and led 63-56 with two minutes left.
Hayman ignited the comeback with three-pointers at the 1:20 and 0:49 marks, cutting the deficit to one. Moments later, Harmon came up with his third steal of the game on an inbound pass and finished at the rim to put A-State in front, 64-63.
After a Coastal Carolina backcourt violation, Caldwell knocked down two free throws for a three-point lead. The Chanticleers answered by converting all three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt, tying the game at 66-66 with 18 seconds remaining.
Jackson’s layup attempt missed in the final seconds, but Hampton’s putback drew a basket interference call, awarding Arkansas State two points. Coastal Carolina turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, and Caldwell sealed the win by converting two more free throws.
Arkansas State now returns to Jonesboro to face Bowling Green in the second round of the MAC–SBC Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena.