Postgame radio interview with Mark Byington

Postgame radio interview with Calvin Wishart and David-Lee Jones Jr.

STATESBORO – Tookie Brown tallied 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Georgia Southern shot 61 percent from the floor to down Arkansas State 81-70 in Sun Belt men's basketball action Saturday evening in Hanner Fieldhouse.

The win guarantees the Eagles at least a top-4 seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference tournament and was the Eagles' 20th of the season, giving GS two straight campaigns with 20-plus victories. The last time GS won 20 games two years in a row was in 1987-88 (24-7) and 1988-89 (22-6), and GS has now posted three 20-win seasons in the last five years.

Eagles of the game
Isaiah Crawley collected 15 points, two assists and a steal, and Calvin Wishart scored 12. Simeon Carter chipped in 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting and blocked a shot, while David-Lee Jones Jr. finished with eight points, five rebounds, a career-high three blocked shots and a steal.

Key moments
After Arkansas State (12-17, 6-10) cut an early 11-point margin to one late in the first half, the Eagles (20-10, 12-5) capped the frame with a 9-4 run, with the help of 3-pointers by Wishart and Quan Jackson, pushing the margin to seven at the break.  

GS started the second half with an 11-4 spurt, and the lead grew to as many as 18 points on a Carter baseline jumper with 9:10 to go. The Red Wolves trimmed the margin to nine points with under a minute to play, but that was as close as the score would get. 

Inside the numbers
GS shot over 60 percent in a game for the third time this season and shot over 50 percent for the 16th time. The Eagles turned 17 Arkansas State turnovers into 17 points and tallied 18 fast-break points. 

Next up
GS plays its regular-season finale against Georgia State in Hanner Fieldhouse, Saturday, March 9, at 5 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN+. The contest is expected to sell out, and student seating is limited so early arrival is suggested. Tickets can be purchased at GSEagles.com/Tickets. 

It's TrueBlue Saturday and athletics events on campus include the football spring game at 11 a.m. in Paulson Stadium. It's Senior Day and Alumni Day for men's basketball, and the contest is presented by Geico, The Hudson and The George. Free t-shirts will be given to the first 250 students from the University Store, and all fans will receive the official new white out rally towel. It's a White Out so make sure to wear white.

One point will be on the line in the Southern vs. State Rivalry Series, which State currently leads 7-4.