Georgia State Squeaks By Arkansas State

Georgia State pulled off a thrilling upset of Arkansas State 82-81. The game came right down to the final buzzer. The Panthers have now won their fourth straight game and sit alone in second place in the conference, only a game and a half behind Troy.

Arkansas State is heading backwards, going just 1-3 in their last four conference matchups. That has them sitting tied for seventh place in the Sun Belt.

Jalani Hamilton took over the scoring, putting up a career high 38 points and leading the team in steals with four. Hamilton also led the team in three-point percentage, ending the game shooting 54% from beyond the arc, going 6-for-11.

38 Points & 6 threes for Jelani Hamilton!

11th straight game with 15+ points, 13th this season! He has been unbelievable! https://t.co/D8t2b8FFMS

— SSN – College Basketball (@SSN_CBB) January 24, 2026

Arkansas State jumped out to an early 20-5 lead but fizzled out at the end of the first half, resulting in a back-and-forth second half that featured 15 lead changes. Red Wolves Senior guard Jalen Hampton stole the ball with milliseconds left in the game and put up a last-second shot for the win. Hampton missed and the Panthers would come down with the rebound to seal the victory, capping off their impressive upset.

FINAL: Georgia State 82, Arkansas State 81

Panthers fumble the inbounds and Jalen Hampton gets a last-second heave to win the game for the Red Wolves, but it’s off the mark.

GSU escapes with their fourth straight win to finish a 2-0 week. They are 9-12, 8-2 since December 13th. pic.twitter.com/Zp22lJUYF6

— Brady Weiler (@bradymweiler) January 24, 2026

Senior guard Chandler Jackson spent the most time on the floor for the Red Wolves with 35 minutes, leading the team in assists with six and hitting six of his eight free throws.

The Red Wolves held as much as a 15-point lead over the Panthers and out-rebounded them 38-21, forcing seven more turnovers than Georgia State. But the Panthers would not be denied, erasing multiple two-possession deficits in the second half and shot 44% from three as a team to squeeze by their conference foe.

Both teams shot efficiently from the free throw line; Arkansas State went 17-of-19 while Georgia State went 20-for-22. Jelani Hamilton was awarded 10 of the Panthers 21 free throws, hitting eight of them for a total of 80%. Hampton currently sits at 7th in all of Division 1 basketball for free-throw percentage with 93.4%.

Arkansas State will head back home for its next game after spending the last four on the road and looks to bounce back in a midweek clash with Old Dominion on Wednesday.

Georgia State looks to continue its winning ways with its next stop in the bayou as they head south for a prime time matchup against the Ragin’ Cajuns on Thursday.