JONESBORO, Ark. (Interstat) — Wilson Dubinsky scored 23 points and Marshall used a dominant defensive second half to secure a 70-61 victory over Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Convocation Center.

The Thundering Herd, which led by three at halftime, held the Red Wolves to 23 points after the break on 7-of-31 shooting from the floor, including a frigid 1 for 13 from three-point range. Marshall improved to 14-8 overall, while Arkansas State fell to 13-10.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded early in the second half, turning a narrow contest into a comfortable lead for the visitors. Leading 41-38 at halftime, Marshall opened the second period with a decisive 12-2 run over the first six minutes. The surge was fueled by stifling defense and timely scoring from Dubinsky and 7-foot-4 center Matt Van Komen.

Van Komen, who finished with six points, eight rebounds and five blocks, set the tone immediately after halftime. He converted an alley-oop dunk from Wyatt Fricks and then protected the rim on the other end, leading to a transition dunk by Fricks. On the next possession, Dubinsky drained a three-pointer, forcing an Arkansas State timeout with the Herd ahead 50-40.

Out of the timeout, the defensive pressure continued. After a Red Wolves miss, Jalen Speer found Dubinsky for another three-pointer, capping the run and extending Marshall’s lead to 53-40 with 16:29 remaining. Arkansas State never recovered, failing to get the deficit back to single digits for the remainder of the game.

Dubinsky, a 6-foot-3 guard from Ottawa, Canada, was efficient in his 35 minutes, hitting 8 of 15 shots including 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. He added eight rebounds. His backcourt mate, Noah Otshudi of Hamilton, Ontario, contributed 12 points. Shamarrie Hugie provided a major spark off the bench for Marshall, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in just 19 minutes.

Speer, despite scoring only two points, orchestrated the offense with eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds. Van Komen’s five blocks anchored a Marshall defense that held Arkansas State to 32.8% shooting for the game and a season-worst 21.9% from three-point range on 32 attempts.

Arkansas State was led by Christian Harmon’s 16 points, though he needed 15 shots to get there. Matt Hayman also scored 17, but was just 6 of 17 from the field. Jalen Hampton pulled down 10 rebounds for the Red Wolves, who won the offensive glass 17-11 but could not convert those extra chances efficiently.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 lead changes. Arkansas State’s largest lead was five points at 17-12, but Hugie’s instant offense off the bench, scoring 11 first-half points, kept Marshall close. The Herd closed the half on a 7-1 spurt, capped by a Noah Otshudi turnaround jumper, to take a 41-38 lead into the break.

Marshall’s offensive execution proved superior, scoring 70 points on just 62 possessions for an offensive rating of 112.7. Arkansas State managed only 61 points on 65 trips, an offensive rating of 94.0. The Herd also took better care of the ball late, committing only four second-half turnovers.

The result defied pregame projections, as Arkansas State had been installed as a 3.5-point favorite at home with a 76.6% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system. The combined score of 131 points fell well under the over/under line of 164.5.

Marshall returns home to face Southern Mississippi on Wednesday. Arkansas State travels to face Coastal Carolina, also on Wednesday.