BOONE, N.C. (1/24/19) – The Arkansas State women's basketball team dropped a Sun Belt Conference contest to Appalachian State 75-67 Thursday at the Holmes Convocation Center.

Akasha Westbrook led the way for the Red Wolves (8-10, 3-4) with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Jordan Elder turned in a career-high 14 points off the bench, but it was not enough as the Mountaineers (10-7, 4-2) outscored A-State in each of the first three quarters and better than 46 percent from the field, while limiting the Red Wolves to a 37 percent clip.

“This was a certainly a much better effort on our part compared to last week,” A-State head coach Brian Boyer said. “We gave ourselves chances to stay in it and to App's credit every time we would do something to cut into the lead a little bit, they would hit a big a shot to keep us from gaining any momentum.”

Both sides struggled offensively through the early part of the first quarter, but Westbrook got things going and scored 10 of her team's first 12 points. Payton Tennison knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Red Wolves up by a point early in the second and Trinite Jackson followed with a bucket in the paint to cap a 9-0 run that put Arkansas State up 23-20 with 5:15 to go in the half.

The Mountaineers responded by going on a 15-3 run to close out the half to take a 35-26 lead they would not relinquish. The lead grew to its largest point a 57-42 near the end of the third quarter, but Jordan Elder knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired in the period to get within 12.

Elder helped get the deficit down to single digits with 1:54 to with her fourth 3-pointer of the game, but the Mountaineers were able to answer and keep Arkansas State from getting any closer. Westbrook got A-State within seven against with 50 seconds to go and then got a turnover, but the Red Wolves were unable to convert on the offensive end and the Mountaineers were able to hold on for the victory.

Arkansas State returns to action when it will take on Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 1:00 p.m. (CT).

For the latest on A-State women's basketball, log on to the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB, or follow them on Twitter @AStateWB and on Instagram at “AStateWBB.”