Brown leads Georgia Southern past Appalachian State, 92-88
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) Tookie Brown scored a season-high 32 points and Georgia Southern held off long-time rival Appalachian State from the free-throw line to take a 92-88 win Saturday to stay unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference play.
Brown converted 17 of 23 shots from the line and was 7 of 16 from the field in leading the Eagles. He collected a career-high 34 points at Appalachian State a year ago.
Ike Smith made 9 of 12 free throws and finished with 25 points for Georgia Southern (13-6, 6-0). Overall the Eagles were 34 of 47 (72.3 percent) from the line.
Georgia Southern has won seven straight, the most consecutive wins since 2011-12.
Ronshad Shabazz hit 13 of 24 shots from the field, including 6 of 12 from deep, to score a career-high 36 points to lead Appalachian State (6-11, 1-5). Emarius Logan added 17 points for the Mountaineers.
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Jones scores 23, UTA beats ULM 71-55
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Jalen Jones matched a career high with 23 points Saturday and UTA held ULM without a field goal for the final 10 minutes for a 71-55 win.
The Mavericks (14-5, 4-2 Sun Belt) closed the game on a 19-2 run. The Warhawks (6-13, 0-6) missed their final 13 shots from the field and scored their last points on Jordon Harris' pair of free throws with 6:13 left.
Jorge Bilbao added 13 points and a career-best 15 rebounds for UTA. Kevin Hervey added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Harris made 5 of 9 from 3-point range and led ULM with 19 points. Nick Coppola scored 11.
Jones gave the Mavericks the lead for good at 54-53 on a jumper with 10:05 left, 14 seconds after Travis Munnings' 3-pointer gave the Warhawks their last lead and last field goal.
ULM had its largest lead at 22-16 in the first half.
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Georgia State leaves Coastal Carolina behind in 76-56 win
ATLANTA (AP) Jeremy Hollowell scored 16 points, D'Marcus Simonds had 14 points, Jeff Thomas added 13 and Georgia State beat Coastal Carolina 76-56 on Saturday.
Georgia State (11-7, 4-2 Sun Belt) dominated from the outset. Jaylen Shaw's layup gave the Chanticleers their last lead of the game at 5-2. Simonds followed with a 3 to tie it, and the Panthers outscored Coastal Carolina 23-12 the rest of the half.
Early in the second, Session and Simonds had back-to-back 3s and the Panthers led 42-22. Colton Ray-St Cyr made two 3s and Elijah Wilson added another to bring Coastal Carolina to within 42-31 but they didn't get closer.
Georgia State was 29 for 62 from the floor (47 percent) while the Chanticleers were 21 for 70 (26 percent).
Ray-St Cyr led Coastal Carolina (9-10, 4-2) with 20 points and 12 rebounds and was the only Chanticleer in double figures.
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Wright, Bartley lift Louisiana over Texas St. 79-73
SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) Jay Wright scored 23 points, Frank Bartley IV finished with 20, and the two combined to shoot 16 for 22 from the floor to help Louisiana beat Texas State 79-73 on Saturday night.
Louisiana (13-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) took the lead for good early in the game when Bartley broke a 16-all tie with a 3-pointer 9:38 before halftime. Later, Justin Miller made a 3 and Wright hit a jumper and the Ragin Cajuns were up 10.
Kavin Gilder-Tilbury's early 3-pointer in the second half brought Texas State (10-8, 3-3) to within six (39-33), but Wright hit a 3 and Bartley's 3-point play extended Louisiana's lead to 12.
Justin Miller had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Ragin Cajuns and Bryce Washington grabbed 10 boards. Louisiana was 20 for 23 from the free throw line.
Gilder-Tilbury led the Bobcats with 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting and had seven rebounds, and Nijal Pearson had 18 points.
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Johnson continues production, Little Rock downs South Alabama 73-56
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Marcus Johnson Jr., scored 22 points and Jalen Jackson had 16 points and Little Rock led for almost the entire game, beating South Alabama 73-56 on Saturday night to end a two-game skid.
Johnson entered the game averaging 16.7 points per game on 53 percent shooting in his last three games; his first three starts of the season.
The Jaguars led once, 9-7, on Herb McGee's 3-point play six minutes into the game. Little Rock (12-7, 3-3 Sun Belt) led 33-22 at halftime and stretched the lead to 17 on a pair of free throws by Johnson. Kemy Osse's 3 with eight minutes left in the game made the score 63-38.
Don MuepoKelly scored 10 points for South Alabama (9-10, 2-4) and Ken Williams added 10. The Jaguars were 18 for 51 from the field (35 percent) including 4 for 15 (27) from 3-point range.
South Alabama has now dropped back-to-back games and has won just once in its last five games.
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Simms' layup gives Arkansas State late lead to beat Troy
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) Deven Simms drove for a layup to give Arkansas State the lead with just over a minute left and the Red Wolves held on to beat Troy 82-80 on Saturday night.
After his layup Simms quickly stole the ball from Daniel Peace, drawing the foul. Simms made both free throws for an 81-78 lead with 51 seconds left.
Troy's Jeremy Hollimon made two free throws to close to 81-80.
Troy had two chances to retake the lead but Peace missed a layup and Wesley Person's heave from three-quarter court as time expired was a little too high. The ball was on line but bounced off the backboard to the floor.
Devin Carter led Arkansas State (13-6, 4-2 Sun Belt Conference) with 23 points, nailing 6 of 9 from distance. Tamas Bruce had 19 points and Simms added 17 with two steals.
Jordon Varnado led Troy (10-10, 2-4) with 18 points.