JONESBORO, Ark. (11/9/23) – Izzy Higginbottom and the Arkansas State women's basketball team put on a show for over 2,000 rowdy elementary students on Thursday at First National Bank Arena, as the junior stuffed the stat sheet en route to leading her team to a 75-62 win over Northern Illinois in the MAC-SBC Challenge.
Higginbottom piled up 31 points and eight rebounds – both career highs – and handed out six assists to one turnover with four steals. A-State (1-1) outscored the Huskies (0-1) 44-29 in the second half after being behind 33-31 at intermission.
The Red Wolves shot 44.3 percent (27-61) from the field and 85.7 percent (12-14) at the foul line, while hitting nine of 24 3-point attempts for a 37.5-percent clip. Wynter Rogers joined Higginbottom in double figures with 11 points off the bench to go along with six boards. Anna Griffin narrowly missed a double-double, scoring nine points with a team-high 13 rebounds.
NIU shot 34.3 percent (23-67) and just 25.7 percent (9-35) from deep and had four players score 10 or more, led by Grace Hunter's 19 points.
A-State jumped out to an early double-digit lead over the Huskies, relying on an 8-0 run capped by a Kiayra Ellis jumper. NIU closed with four straight to cut the first-quarter deficit to 20-14.
Northern Illinois clawed back in the second quarter, outscoring the Red Wolves 19-11 and taking a 33-31 halftime lead on a buzzer-beating layup by Laura Nickel which capped an 11-0 run to end the half.
The Scarlet and Black answered head coach Destinee Rogers' halftime challenge, surging to a 10-0 run to open the third quarter and leading 58-47 after three following a Griffin trey.
Higginbottom eclipsed the 30-point mark for the first time in her career in the fourth quarter, being responsible for 11 of A-State's 17 points in the period. The Batesville, Ark., native went 11-for-12 at the charity stripe, including 9-for-10 in the fourth quarter. A-State pushed its lead to as much as 15, leading 75-60 with 24 seconds to play.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves continue their four-game home stand next Friday, Nov. 17, hosting in-state foe Arkansas. Tip-off against the Razorbacks is slated for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can also be heard on 95.3/96.9 The Ticket Radio Network and the A-State Red Wolves mobile app.
Season tickets are available for purchase at AStateRedWolves.com/tickets or by calling (870) 972-ASU1.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State women's basketball program, follow @AStateWB on Twitter/X and @astatewbb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/RedWolvesWBB.
