JONESBORO, Ark. (2/13/20) – Early turnovers cost the Arkansas State men's basketball team in a 77-67 setback at UT Arlington Thursday night.

UT Arlington (11-15, 7-8 Sun Belt) converted nine A-State (15-11, 7-8 Sun Belt) turnovers in the first 10-plus minutes in 17 points while building as large as a 17-point lead in the first half. The Red Wolves were able to cut an 11-point halftime deficit to as few as eight points in the second half, but UT Arlington came away with the double-digit victory.

Jerry Johnson Jr. led A-State with 17 points off the bench while Marquis Eaton added 16 points and five assists and Melo Eggleston chipped in 13 points. Sam Griffin led UT Arlington with 19 points while Rashad Davis had 15 points and 14 rebounds.

UT Arlington shot 49 percent (26-53) from the field, including 7-of-15 (.467) from 3-point range. The Mavericks converted 18-of-27 (.667) at the charity stripe and out-rebounded the Red Wolves 40-27. A-State finished the night shooting 43 percent (23-54) overall, 6-of-20 (.300) beyond the arc, and 15-of-25 (.600) at the stripe.

A-State committed 10 first half turnovers resulting in 19 points for the Mavericks and UT Arlington used a 12-0 run early in the first frame to break open the game. The Red Wolves trimmed the deficit to eight early in the second half, but UT Arlington used a 13-2 run to rebuild a 17-point advantage. A-State closed late with an 11-4 run to get the final deficit to 10 points.

A-State closes the three-game road trip Saturday at Texas State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.