JONESBORO, Ark. (1/13/24) – Arkansas State women's basketball (8-7, 2-3 SBC) led for a majority of the game, but a late rally from Louisiana (5-8, 2-3 SBC) resulted in a 64-63 defeat on Saturday afternoon at First National Bank Arena.
 
Anna Griffin and Lauryn Pendleton led the scoring effort for the Red Wolves with each contributing 15 points. Wynter Rogers led the team in rebounds (eight) while Izzy Higginbottom recorded eight assists, falling one dime short of her career high.
 
As a team, the Scarlet and Black shot 47 percent (21-for-45) from the floor and 42 percent (8-for-19) from deep. A-State out-rebounded the Ragin' Cajuns 31-21, winning both sides of the glass. However, Louisiana won the turnover battle and scored 26 points off 18 giveaways.
 
The Red Wolves capitalized on their momentum from last game in the first, shooting 60 percent (6-for-10) from the field while out-rebounding Louisiana 11-6 on the defensive glass. Mailyn Wilkerson led the way during the period, scoring six points on 2-for-3 shooting from deep as A-State claimed a 17-7 lead after a quarter of play.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns responded with a 9-2 run to open the second quarter and eventually cut the lead to two points. Anna Griffin provided A-State some space by making three-straight shots from deep, allowing the Scarlet and Black to go into the break leading 35-26.
 
Louisiana closed the gap in the third quarter after shooting 3-for-6 (50 percent) from 3-point range. A-State had eight fouls that resulted in six points for the Ragin Cajuns, who made every attempt during the period and cut the lead to three points.
 
With the score 46-43 at the beginning of the fourth, both sides would exchange scores and runs which resulted in a 63-62 Red Wolves lead with 1:24 remaining. Neither side could get a score for the next minute, but the Scarlet and Black would surrender a foul with 0:12 remaining.
 
Tamera Johnson made both free throws for Louisiana, putting them ahead 64-63. The Red Wolves would get one last chance, but could not capitalize on the opportunity.
 
There were five lead changes and three ties in the game, with A-State holding the advantage for over 36 minutes.
 
NEXT UP
Arkansas State will be on the road for the next four games, starting with a matchup against South Alabama on Wednesday, January 17 in Mobile, Alabama. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+, and the Radio broadcast can be heard on 95.3/96.9 The Ticket Radio Network along with the A-State Red Wolves mobile app.
 
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.