JONESBORO, Ark. (1/31/24) – Arkansas State women's basketball (11-9, 5-5 SBC) faced constant pressure from South Alabama (7-15, 0-10 SBC), but a late offensive surge allowed the Red Wolves to pull away with a 73-61 victory on Wednesday night at First National Bank Arena.
Izzy Higginbottom led both teams with 35 points while
Lauryn Pendleton (19) and
Cheyenne Forney (10) also reached double digits. It was Higginbottom's sixth game with at least 30 points this season, matching a career high that was set against North Alabama on December 14, 2023.
As a team, A-State shot 23-for-52 (44 percent) from the field and 5-for-15 (33 percent) from 3-point range. The Scarlet and Black finished with 20 turnovers forced, including 5 steals, and scored 23 points as a result.
The Red Wolves opened the game with the hot hand, making two threes and two layups to take an 11-4 advantage. After the Jaguars tied the game with a 7-0 run, both teams would trade baskets before A-State closed the quarter ahead 19-15.
South Alabama opened the second on a 6-0 run and claimed their second lead of the contest. However, back-to-back threes from
Anna Griffin and Higginbottom put the Scarlet and Black back in front as they went into halftime up 34-29.
The Red Wolves shot 12-for-26 (46 percent) from the field and forced 10 turnovers in the first half. It was a battle from beyond the arc as A-State went to the break shooting 5-for-11 (46 percent) compared to 4-for-10 (40 percent) shooting from the Jaguars.
The Scarlet and Black opened the third on a 9-0 run that spanned nearly four minutes and took a 14-point lead as a result. The Jaguars were able to cut the lead down to four with 1:41 to go, but the Red Wolves expanded it back to seven by the end of the quarter.
A-State was able to prevent South Alabama from making it a one-possession game throughout the fourth and used an 11-3 run to claim a 71-59 advantage with 0:33 left in the contest. Both sides would get one more basket before time expired as A-State snapped their two-game skid.
The Red Wolves held the Jaguars to eight rebounds in the final quarter while
Wynter Rogers brought down seven. She finished with nine rebounds in the contest, which was one shy of her career high.
Higginbottom finished the game 14-for-14 from the charity stripe, making her one of only 18 players to finish with a 100% free-throw percentage on 14 or more opportunities.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State will remain at home for a matchup against Old Dominion on Saturday, February 3 at First National Bank Arena.
Tip-off is set for 12:00 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.
