ARLINGTON, Texas (1/30/21) – Jada Stinson matched her career high with 24 points, but Arkansas State women's basketball dropped a hard-fought 80-71 contest at UT Arlington Saturday afternoon at the College Park Center.
The Red Wolves (9-5, 4-4 SBC) out-rebounded the Mavericks (8-4, 6-2) 44 to 34 and held a five-point fourth-quarter lead, but UTA went on a 15-2 run to take the lead for good and sweep the series. The game was back and forth throughout, featuring 12 ties and 17 lead changes.
"We tried to defend the game and rely on their percentages since they had some shooting 40-50 percent hit free throws, and that's how you close those games out," head coach Matt Daniel said. "We competed and we were up, but turned the ball over 10 times in the fourth quarter. I thought we competed, but the problem is that there are no moral victories. We'll get right back at it and get ready for Louisiana."
Stinson's career-best-tying 24 points included six three-point field goals, matching her career best. The redshirt junior added five rebounds and four assists. Peyton Martin recorded 19 points and seven rebounds, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Morgan Wallace was the game's top rebounder, grabbing 14 to go along with nine points and five assists. Mya Love and Karolina Szydlowska also added nine apiece, with Love knocking down a career-best three from deep.
A-State shot 37.5 percent as a team (24 of 64), going 11 of 29 from three-point range (37.9 percent). The Scarlet and Black was solid at the charity stripe, connecting on 12 of 16 shots.
UTA scored 26 points off 20 A-State turnovers and shot well from the free-throw line down the stretch, going 18 of 20 in the contest (90.0 percent). The Mavericks shot 43.8 percent from the field (28 of 64), while the Red Wolves held UTA to just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 22). Four players scored in double figures for UTA, led by 20 points by Bre Wickware. Misty Dossey scored 15 points, while Terryn Milton notched 12 points and Jordynn Hernandez scored 10.
A-State scored first, but UTA went on a 13-0 run over five and a half minutes to own a 13-2 lead with 2:59 left in the opening period. The Red Wolves broke the scoring drought with a layup, which sparked a quarter-ending 11-0 run to tie things up at 13 after one period.
A three by Love made it a 16-13 Red Wolves lead early in the second, although a layup by Wickware halted the 14-0 run by A-State. The Mavericks then went on an 8-0 scoring stretch to lead by six midway through the second. The Red Wolves then outscored UTA 14-7 down the stretch to own a 31-30 halftime lead.
The Mavericks claimed a three-point advantage with 7:57 to go in the third, but a pair of threes by Stinson and a deep jumper by Szydlowska gave A-State a one-point edge midway through the period. The lead then changed hands seven times throughout the remainder of the quarter, as UTA entered the fourth with a 52-49 lead.
A-State opened the fourth on an 11-3 scoring stretch that included threes by Stinson and Love to lead 60-55 and force a UTA timeout with 6:43 remaining. Then, the Mavericks took control with a 15-2 run to lead 70-62 with 2:33 to go. A three by Stinson trimmed the deficit to 73-69 with 55 seconds to go. UTA closed on a 7-2 run, all coming from the charity stripe.
The Red Wolves return to action Friday, Feb. 5, traveling to Lafayette, Louisiana, to take on Louisiana for a two-game set. Tip-off for Friday's bout is slated for 6 p.m. CT at the Cajundome. The broadcast can be watched live on ESPN+ while the radio broadcast can be heard on 95.3/96.9 The Ticket.
Five Things To Note:
- Peyton Martin moved ahead of Quintella Jackson (1983-87) for 23rd all-time in scoring in program history, currently with 1,026 career points.
- Jada Stinson scored 10 or more for the fourth time in the last five games.
- Morgan Wallace recorded double-digit rebounds for the third time in four games, matching her season high with 14.
- Arkansas State forced double-digit turnovers for the 14th consecutive game to open the season.
- A-State outrebounded its opponent for the 11th time this season.
For the latest on the A-State women's basketball program, follow @AStateWB on Twitter and @astatewbb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB.
