JONESBORO, Ark. (1/17/24) – Arkansas State women's basketball (9-7, 3-3 SBC) overcame first-half struggles on the way to their first road win of the season against South Alabama (7-11, 0-6 SBC) by a score of 78-69 on Wednesday night at the Mitchell Center.
 
Izzy Higginbottom followed up her lowest-scoring game of the season with a 32-point performance that led both teams. Anna Griffin set a new season-high with 19 points while Lauryn Pendleton scored 18 on 7-for-16 (43 percent) shooting.
 
As a team, A-State shot 29-for-61 (48 percent) from the field and 6-for-22 (27 percent) from 3-point range. The team forced 14 turnovers while surrendering seven and scored 24 points as a result.
 
Both sides struggled to gain the advantage for most of the first quarter, with the score tied at 12-12 at the 3:04 mark. However, a trio of layups from Higginbottom and Kendra Gillispie allowed the Red Wolves to close the period on a 6-0 run.
 
South Alabama responded with a 16-5 run to open the second, holding A-State scoreless for just over five minutes. Higginbottom cut the deficit to a point after recording back-to-back three-point plays, but the Jaguars closed the half on a 4-0 run to take a 36-31 lead into the break.
 
The difference in the half came from beyond the arc, where the Scarlet and Black shot 1-for-12 (8 percent) while South Alabama shot 6-for-13 (46 percent). Higginbottom went into the break with 14 points on 66 percent (6-for-9) shooting.
 
The Jaguars extended their lead to seven following a score on their opening possession. However, A-State used an 8-0 run to claim a 39-38 lead with 8:25 remaining in the quarter. Both teams exchanged scores over the next four minutes of play, but the Red Wolves would record nine of the next 13 points to close the quarter.
 
A-State took control after back-to-back 3-pointers from Pendleton and Griffin capped off a 10-0 run and made the score 65-52. The Jaguars cut the lead to seven with 2:19 remaining, but the Scarlet and Black would hang on for the nine-point victory.
 
It was the Red Wolves' first victory on the road since claiming a 98-92 win at Troy on February 9, 2023.
 
NEXT UP
Arkansas State will continue their four-game road trip with a matchup against Texas State on Saturday, January 20 in San Marcos, Texas. Tip-off is set for 2:00 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.