JONESBORO, Ark. (2/16/23) – Sophomore guard Izzy Higginbottom scored a game-high 24 points and sophomore forward Kiayra Ellis posted her first career double-double to help lead the Arkansas State women's basketball team to a 78-58 Sun Belt Conference victory over South Alabama Thursday evening at First National Bank Arena.
 
Led by Higginbottom's third 20-point game this season, A-State (9-17, 4-11) had four players score in double figures.  Ellis finished with a career-best 12 points to go along with 12 rebounds, while Leilani Augmon and Lauryn Pendleton added 14 and 12, respectively.
 
The Red Wolves posted a .425 field goal percentage while limiting the Jaguars to a .338 mark.  Both squads finished with 45 rebounds, but A-State had five more assists and committed just fewer turnovers.  Arkansas State also had nine steals and scored 22 points off 17 South Alabama miscues.
 
The first half featured five ties and four lead changes as South Alabama (6-20, 2-13) jumped out to a 25-24 advantage after the first quarter.  Arkansas State reclaimed the lead, 28-27, for good on a jumper by Higginbottom with 6:46 remaining in the second quarter.
 
Still leading by just two with 2:30 remaining, the Red Wolves closed the first half with 7-0 run to take a 39-30 advantage into the break.  The Jaguars cut the margin back to eight points, 43-35, early in the second half, but wouldn't get any closer.
 
A-State went on an 8-0 run at that point and held a double-figure advantage the rest of the way.  The Red Wolves outscored the Jaguars 22-16 in the third quarter and 17-12 in the fourth, which ended with a 12-2 run by the home team.
 
South Alabama was led by three players scoring in double digits, including Nadia Howard with a team-high 15 points.
 
Arkansas State returns to action with a 4:30 p.m. home game Saturday, Feb. 18, against Louisiana.  The game will appear on ESPN+, and the radio broadcast can be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network stations 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Network.