JONESBORO, Ark. (2/4/23) – A fourth-quarter rally fell short on Saturday afternoon, as the Arkansas State women's basketball team dropped an 87-75 decision to Old Dominion inside First National Bank Arena.
The Red Wolves (7-16, 2-10 SBC) ended the third quarter and began the fourth quarter on a 15-2 run to trim a 20-point margin down to as little as five, but ODU (16-9, 8-4) took advantage of miscues down the stretch to widen the gap.
Four players scored in double figures as part of a balanced attack for the Scarlet and Black, led by Izzy Higginbottom's game-high 19 points and five rebounds. Lauryn Pendleton added 13 points, all in the second half, on 4-of-9 from the field with five steals. Melodie Kapinga scored 11 points in the post, while Anna Griffin notched 10 with a game-high seven boards.
As a team, A-State shot 46.4 percent (26-56) from the field, including a 53.3-percent mark in the second half, while going 7-for-10 from 3-point range. That clip from the perimeter is the best in school history with a minimum of 10 attempts.
Old Dominion's offense was led by three double-figure scorers, highlighted by Kaye Clark's 18-point outing on 6-of-8 from the field. Makayla Dickens and Amari Young added 16 points apiece, while Jordan McLaughlin sparked the offense with seven assists.
ODU shot 52.5 percent (32-61) from the floor and 72.7 percent (16-22) at the free-throw line, while scoring 22 points on 15 A-State turnovers. The Monarchs played 13 players, with the bench accounting for 29 points.
After A-State led by four early, ODU scored 13 unanswered to take the lead and would not look back, expanding it to 14 near the end of the quarter. Higginbottom knocked down a pair of free throws to end the period with the Monarchs leading 27-15.
Old Dominion's lead grew to 16, but a 9-0 run pulled the Red Wolves within seven after a 3-point play by Higginbottom. The visitors responded with a half-ending 10-0 run to lead 49-32 at intermission.
The sides traded baskets for much of the third quarter, as ODU's lead ballooned to 20 with two minutes left in the period, but the Red Wolves gathered steam and ended with six of the last eight points to trail 69-53 through three.
That run extended over into the fourth quarter, as Arkansas State managed to work the deficit down to five after Leilani Augmon scored two of her nine points on a floater in the paint. A-State kept fighting as ODU moved its lead back out to double digits to end the contest.
NEXT UP
A-State is back in action Thursday in the first of its final two road tests, facing league-leading Troy (15-8, 10-2). Tip-off against the Trojans inside Trojan Arena is set for 5:15 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard live via the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network station 95.3 and 96.9 The Ticket Radio Network.
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.
