JONESBORO, Ark. (1/13/22) – A dynamic fourth quarter, featuring 14 points by Jireh Washington, lifted the Arkansas State women's basketball team to its second straight victory in Sun Belt Conference play, a 98-92 shootout win over Appalachian State.
Washington led the Red Wolves (9-7, 2-1 SBC) with a career-best 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line. Her performance was crucial down the stretch, as 12 of her 14 fourth-quarter points were part of an 18-7 run to end the contest, including the game's last six points.
All five starters scored in double figures, as Keya Patton registered 19 points and 6 boards, while Morgan Wallace notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Trinitee Jackson scored 16 points to go with 7 rebounds, while Mailyn Wilkerson registered 10 points.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the contest, with A-State edging the Mountaineers (6-8, 0-1) with a 52.9 percent (37-70) mark. App State connected on 35 of 67 shots (52.2 percent), but the free throw line was where the game was ultimately decided. The Red Wolves made 20 of 22 at the line (90.9 percent), the best mark since achieving the same feat against Georgia Southern on March 2, 2019.
A-State also made its hay with late defensive stops, forcing seven of App State's 18 turnovers in the second half, but four in the fourth quarter and three in the final four minutes. The Red Wolves, meanwhile, only coughed up 13 takeaways and nabbed 13 steals.
Six players scored in double digits for the Mountaineers, led by Janay Sanders' 19 points. Alexia Allesch added 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, while Emily Carver also provided a spark off the bench for 14 points on three treys. Faith Alston added 12 points, while Michaela Porter and Brooke Bigott contributed 10 apiece.
Jackson netted the game's first five points before App State got on the board and ultimately tied it up early, before an 8-0 run pushed the Red Wolves ahead 20-12 with two minutes to go. The Mountaineers closed on a 6-0 stretch, with Alston responsible for four of those points to make it 20-18 A-State after one quarter.
The Mountaineers, looking to keep pace with the Scarlet and Black, took their first lead of the contest on a Dane Bertonlina trey at the 8:42 mark. A Wilkerson 3-pointer and Jackson layup moved momentum back in A-State's favor, but Allesch closed the half with seven of the last 10 points to give App State a 48-44 edge at the break. Both teams were efficient from the field, with Appalachian State shooting 58.8 percent (20-34) and A-State shooting at a 46.2 percent (18-39) clip in the first 20 minutes.
A-State tied it at 52-all on a Wilkerson 3-pointer before Patton added another from deep to push the Red Wolves ahead by four with 5:33 left in the third. The Mountaineers then reclaimed momentum with an 11-0 run, capped off by a Bigott trey that made it 66-59 with 2:51 to play. After an Alston layup handed App State its largest lead, up eight with 1:23 left, A-State closed the quarter strong with a 7-1 stretch to make it 73-71 Mountaineers after three quarters.
The Red Wolves closed the back-and-forth contest, which included 14 ties and a dozen lead changes, with a strong final 10 minutes, starting with Washington's game-tying layup early on. App State would move back ahead by seven, but Washington and company charged ahead, making key inside shots or getting to the line the rest of the way. A-State made 10-of-13 field goals in the fourth, while going 7-for-8 at the foul line to earn the win.
NEXT UP
A-State concludes its home stand Saturday, hosting Coastal Carolina. Tip-off versus the Chanticleers is slated for 1 p.m. and the game can be viewed on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network flagship station 95.3/96.9 The Ticket/970 AM.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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.
