Arkansas State wins Sun Belt opener over Georgia Southern
A-State Athletics
JONESBORO – Led by four players scoring in double figures, the Arkansas State men’s basketball team won its Sun Belt Conference opener and third consecutive game with a 74-56 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday at First National Bank Arena.
The Red Wolves have now won seven of their last eight games and stand 10-3 overall, including a 7-1 mark at home. They connected on 43.9 percent of their shots and made 19-of-20 free throws, while limiting Georgia Southern (7-6, 0-2) to a .367 field goal percentage.
A-State was led by Norchad Omier with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds, giving the second-year freshman forward eight double-doubles this season and 23 for his career. Marquis Eaton and Desi Sills both finished with 15 points, while Caleb Fields added 11.
While A-State never trailed and held a 13-point lead, 23-10, with just over six minutes remaining in the first half, it took just a 27-22 lead into the break. However, the Red Wolves scored 12 of the first 16 points to start the second half and rebuilt their lead to 13.
A-State, which outscored Georgia Southern 47-34 in the second half, held a double-digit lead the rest of the way as its advantage reached as much as 26 points, 71-45, with just under two minutes remaining.
The Red Wolves held a 39-35 advantage on the boards, improving to 10-0 on the year when outrebounding their opponent. They collected six blocks as well, tying their second most this year.
In addition to his 15 points, Sills also posted a career-high five steals, helping the Red Wolves register 12 as a team to tie their second most this year. Fields’ day also included seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a career-high two blocks.
Georgia Southern was led by two players scoring in double digits, including junior forward Andrei Savrasov with 13 and senior guard Kaden Archie with 12.
Arkansas State returns to action Thursday, Jan. 6, with a 7:00 p.m. game at Louisiana. The contest will appear on ESPN+, and every A-State men’s basketball team can be heard live on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network, including flagship station 107.9 FM in the Northeast Arkansas area. For the latest on A-State men’s basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@AStateMB), Facebook (/AStateMB) and Instagram (@astatemb).