Georgia Southern Outlasts Arkansas State to Advance in Sun Belt Conference Tournament

Beating the same team twice in the same season is often viewed as one of the more difficult feats for a team to accomplish. After beating Georgia Southern earlier in the season, Arkansas State couldn’t do it when it mattered most, bowing out of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament by the final score of 80-77.

On Friday’s @Ford Locker Room Wrap-Up, @AldenApplewhit3 & @kayy5ive describe the joy & the plays made to keep @GSAthletics_MBB rolling to the @SunBelt Quarters

Eagles vs #3 Coastal 9 pm EST, @Cutwater Countdown to Tipoff 8:30!#GATA @Learfield @LEARFIELDAudio @TheSackCompany pic.twitter.com/sbXPFvlioa

— Danny Reed (@GSEaglesVoice) March 7, 2026

The game was tied at 75 with just over 1:30 to play. Tyren Moore drained a three to give the Eagles the lead. Spudd Webb would tack on two free throws before Aly Tounkara matched them with a putback.

The Red Wolves would have one final possession with four seconds left. Matt Hayman had made six of his 12 three-point attempts, and with Arkansas State trailing by three, the ball had to go to him.

Hayman caught the inbounds pass with his back to the basket. While facing his own bench, he had to spin 180 degrees and simultaneously fire off a shot over the outstretched arm of Webb. And when he launched the ball into the air… it landed in the hands of Tounkara, about six feet from the rim. His 13th, and most important, attempt of the night was his furthest from going in (and, to be fair, by far his most difficult).

Tounkara attempted a last ditch redirect towards the hoop, but it didn’t find the twine. Even if it had, it would have only counted for two points – leaving them one short.

Hayman’s final attempt was the game in a nutshell. Georgia Southern’s efficiency proved to be the difference. The Eagles made 40 percent of their threes, while the Red Wolves made just 30 percent. Outside of Hayman, the rest of Arkansas State’s roster shot a feeble 20 percent.

Moore’s last three was his most important, and he was effective all game. He scored 25 points to lead all scorers, and has scored 20 or more in four of his last five contests. He also led the team with four steals and four assists (tied with Nakavieon White).

The Eagles’ long-range shooting wasn’t the only area of the floor they outshot the Red Wolves from. Arkansas State missed 10 of their 21 free throw attempts, while Georgia Southern made 18 of their 20. Coming into the game, Arkansas State ranked as one of the best free-throw-shooting teams in the conference. Their 73.9 free throw percentage ranked third. On Thursday night, they shot 26 percent below their season average. In the biggest moment of the season, they crumbled at the worst possible time.

There were plenty of opportunities for the Red Wolves. They took 15 more shots than the Eagles, mainly because of the eye-popping margin in offensive rebounds. Georgia Southern snagged six boards off the offensive glass. Tounkara had seven alone. And as a team? Arkansas State had 20.

Georgia Southern was able to use defensive pressure to squeeze out the extra handful of possessions they needed to win. The team combined for ten steals. Four came from Moore, while the duo of White and Tsvet Sotirov both swiped a pair. Those steals, along with the rest of Arkansas State’s turnovers, led to 15 points for the Eagles. The Red Wolves notched just four points off Georgia Southern’s giveaways. Arkansas State forced ten turnovers and only scored points off two of them.

With the Red Wolves season coming to a close, the Eagles will fly into a matchup with South Alabama in the fourth round. After losing to the Jaguars earlier this season, they’ll be looking for revenge. And if this game was any indication, beating the same team twice is no simple task.