ITTA BENA, Miss. (12/11/21) – Marquis Eaton poured in a team-high 18 points – 16 in the second half – to propel the Arkansas State men's basketball team past Mississippi Valley State Saturday at the Harrison HPER Complex.
Eaton was one of four players to score 10 or more on the day for the Red Wolves (7-2), going 5 of 9 from the floor (2-3 from 3-point range) and a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line. He helped A-State shoot 55.6 percent (25-45) from the field and 73.7 percent at the charity stripe (28-38).
Norchad Omier registered another double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds in 25 minutes, including a pair of blocked shots. Desi Sills dropped 17 points while Keyon Wesley scored 10 with 6 boards. Lazar Grbovic saw 11 minutes of time in the post, factoring in the scoring column with 9 points.
The Red Wolves out-rebounded the Delta Devils (0-8) 39-27 and overcame 24 turnovers to escape with the road triumph.
A-State overcame an early deficit with an 8-0 run to lead 10-5 after a Markise Davis trey, but then the Delta Devils surged back ahead by one with a 6-0 stretch. Grbovic provided a spark off the bench, aiding in an 8-0 run that expanded the Red Wolves' lead out to seven, then Wesley propelling A-State's lead up to 11 with under 7 minutes remaining in the half.
MVSU closed the opening half strongly, holding A-State without a field goal for the final 5 minutes, 22 seconds to lead 34-33 at the break. The Scarlet and Black shot the ball well in the first half at a 60.0 percent (12-20) clip, but coughed up 14 turnovers.
The Scarlet and Black pushed its lead back out to double-digits midway through the second half after a 10-0 surge capped off by a driving layup by Eaton. A-State found success at the foul line, making 12 of 14, including 12 in a row until the game's final minute to maintain the lead. MVSU managed to make it a one-point affair on a pair of Elijah Davis layups, while Caleb Hunter made it a four-point margin with just over a minute left with a corner trey. Hunter led all players with 20 points on the night.
A-State concludes its road swing Tuesday, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, to face 2019 Final Four participant Texas Tech. Tip-off at United Supermarkets Arena is slated for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and on the radio on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network.
