Troy head coach Don Maestri posted his 450th career victory as the Troy Trojans defeated Arkansas State 66-48 in Sun Belt Conference action on Thursday night at Trojan Arena.

Maestri was unaware of the milestone until after the game when an announcement was read.

“I didn’t know until a couple of the players told me. I think the numbers should get bigger the longer you coach. I think longevity is the reason the wins start to add up,” he said.

Troy (14-10, 9-3 SBC) with the victory earned its seventh consecutive win. It also guaranteed the team its best-ever finish in the Sun Belt. The loss drops Arkansas State to 13-9 on the year and 5-6 in SBC play.

“I was very pleased with our defensive effort, especially since we did not play very well offensively in the first half,” Maestri said. “I thought we really bothered them and forced them to turn it over a couple of times.”

Mario Telfair scored 17 points off the bench in 24 minutes and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

“Mario gave us a spark that we really needed in the first half,” Maestri said.

Brandon Hazzard scored five straight over a 30 second span to give the Trojans a 20-point lead, 72-52 late in the game. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week finished the game with 14 points after a 1-for-6 first half.

Richard Delk led the way offensively for the Trojans with 18 points and six rebounds. Michael Vogler chipped in with nine points and seven assists.

The Trojans travel to take on FAU Saturday with a 6 p.m. tip off.