JONESBORO, Ark. - University of Denver junior guard Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) scored 15 points, and sophomore forward Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) added 14 points, three assists and three blocked shots, as the Pioneers prevailed 53-50 at Convocation Center on Thursday night.

"This was a big game for us, coming back after Saturday's disappointment," head coach Joe Scott said. "We played terrific defense all game, but we were pressing offensively in the first half. In the second half, we came out playing a little more freely, and the defense remained good. Give Arkansas State credit, they fought back. Brian Stafford had a tough first 37 minutes but a really good last three minutes, and that was the key. We also need to give credit to Chris Udofia and Chase Hallam, who were good all night. I'm really happy for our guys."

Trailing by three points with 2:37 to go, senior guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) drove the lane for a layup and followed it with a turnaround jumper in the paint to give the Pioneers (12-3, 2-1 SBC) a one-point lead. Udofia and Stafford hit both of their free throw attempts in the final 21 seconds to carry Denver, which had only two other free throw attempts in the game.

Chase Hallam added five rebounds and a pair of steals, while freshman forward Royce O'Neale (Killeen, Texas) had a team-high six rebounds.

The Pioneers shot 44.4 percent (20-of-45) from the field and 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from three-point range. Marcus Hooten led Arkansas State (7-9, 1-1 SBC), which shot 45.5 percent (20-of-44) from the field and 3-of-5 (60.0 percent) from three-point range.

Denver struggled early in the first half, as ASU jumped to a 15-8 lead with 11:14 remaining. However, the Pioneers heated up and ended the half on a 9-4 run to cut the deficit to 24-22 at the break.

The Pioneers continue their road trip at South Alabama on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on the ESPN Full Court package, as well as ESPN3.com. Fans also can listen to the game live on Pioneer Vision, Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510 or FM 93.7 and via a live blog available at DenverPioneers.com.