Arkansas State tops Georgetown in stunning upset

That didn’t take long.

Grant McCasland already has a marquee win just three games into his tenure at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves beat Georgetown 78-72 in a game that KenPom gave the Hoyas a 98 percent chance to win.

Arkansas State rushed out to a 48-33 halftime lead before Georgetown closed to within two points in the final minute. The Red Wolves were able to seal it with free throws and pick up their second win of the year.

Devin Carter led all scorers with 25 points, which included two opening minute three-pointers to stabilize Arkansas State before a 16-4 run that put the Hoyas on their heels. The Red Wolves also got 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Donte Thomas.

The KenPom figure underscores how unexpected this win was. Arkansas State was picked to finish 10th in the Sun Belt in McCasland’s debut season, and dropped a difficult opener at North Dakota State.

The question now is whether this was a flash-in-the-pan or a sign that the Red Wolves can be more competitive than many thought. The senior duo of Carter and Thomas has been reliable, as has JuCo transfer Rashad Lindsey (30 points over the past two games). They’ve also shot well as a team over the first three games, something they struggled with last year in an 11-20 season.

Arkansas State plays Army and SIU Edwardsville over the next week before a suddenly-intriguing home game against Lehigh on Nov. 27.