LOUISVILLE, Ky.?Four different players for Arkansas State scored 16 points to lead a balanced attack as the Indians defeated Prairie View A&M, 82-69, in the final game of the Colonial Classic on Monday.
Dereke Tipler scored 16 points and handed out a career-best 12 assists to spark the Indians, Isaac Wells produced his first double-double with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Marcus Ardison and Kitus Withespoon each scored 16.
ASU (3-4) won two of three in the Colonial Classic, hosted by Louisville at Freedom Hall, including Monday's win.
The Indians came out strong in the second half. Leading 37-35, ASU utilized a stout defense and sharp shooting to quickly get the lead up to double digits. Wells' dunk at the 17:35 mark in the second half put ASU up 46-35 and was followed by a dunk by Jim Jones to cap an 11-0 run to start the second.
From there the Indians maintained the lead while substituting liberally. PVAM never got any closer than eight the rest of the way as ASU continued to pile up easy shots. Jones, who was held scoreless the night before against Louisville, rebounded with a strong game by scoring 12 points and grabbing seven boards.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead when Ardison connected on one of two free throws and was in the lead for most of the game, barring a lull midway through the first half.. PVAM (1-5) did take the lead from ASU at the 10:39 mark of the first half when Jeremy Wiley knocked down a 3 from the foul line extended. ASU kept the deficit close while ironing out defensive issues and regained the lead for good when Tipler nailed a pull-up jumper in the lane with 38 seconds left in the first half, giving ASU a two-point lead at the break.
Wells and Tipler continued their solid play through the tournament by averaging in double figures overall. Witherspoon connected on 10 of 11 free throw attempts in the game and the Indians managed nearly a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio.
ASU closed the Colonial Classic with a 2-1 record, the only loss a 12 point setback to host and seventh ranked Louisville. The Indians travel back to Jonesboro to rest from playing four games in five days on the road. Next up for the Tribe will be a Saturday meeting with Freed-Hardeman at the Convocation Center. Tipoff for that game is set for 3:05 p.m.
