Arkansas State men’s basketball beats Coastal Carolina in first round of SBC Tournament

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Arkansas State men’s basketball is heading to the second round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, winning their first-round matchup against Coastal Carolina 86-69 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. Tuesday.

Two runs helped the Red Wolves get ahead and stay ahead: A 22-2 run early in the first half, and an 18-8 run over the final 4:14 to secure the win.

A-State hit six three pointers in that nine-minute stretch during the 22-2 run, including four by Markise Davis. Davis finished with 20 points, a season high, including the highlight windmill slam in the final minute.

Despite the large run, Coastal Carolina responded by closing the first half on a 10-0 run to cut the A-State lead to four heading to the locker room.

The Red Wolves would stay red hot from three in the second half, going 6-8 in the final 20 minutes. A-State drilled 6 of their final 7 field goals to pull away with a 17-point win.

A-State drilled a season-high 14 threes in the win. 86 points marks a season-best against a Division I foe this year.

Freshman Terrance Ford led all scorers with 25 points, going 7-10 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from long distance. 17 of his 25 points came in the second half including 8 in the final 2:15. Omar El-Sheikh (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Westside great Avery Felts (12 points, 4-6 3FG) also scored in double figures in the win.

A-State advances to the second round of the SBC Tournament. They’ll look to make it back to the quarterfinals Thursday night, where the Red Wolves will face fifth-seeded Troy at 2:00 PM on ESPN+.

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