NASSAU, Bahamas (11/29/24) – Four players scored in double figures on Friday afternoon, as the Arkansas State men's basketball team opened the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship with an 86-81 win over Indiana State.
The Red Wolves (5-1) owned an 11-point lead at the midpoint but had to fend off a fierce comeback by the Sycamores (3-4) to earn their fourth straight win. Kobe Julien was key down the stretch, scoring eight of A-State's last 10 points and finished with 13 points.
Derrian Ford led the pack with a season-high 18 points on 7-of-15, including a trio of 3-pointers, while grabbing five boards. Terrance Ford Jr. also netted a season-best, scoring 17 points with five rebounds. Taryn Todd added 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. In just six minutes off the bench, Cody Head scored eight points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
A-State shot 45.6 percent (31-68) from the floor and went 9-for-26 from 3-point range. ISU had a 41.8-percent (28-67) clip from the field, going 9-for-31 from deep. The Red Wolves owned a 42-40 edge on the glass, including a game-high 10 rebounds from Rashaud Marshall.
Todd broke a 22-all tie midway through the first half with a jumper, sparking an 11-0 run that expanded A-State's lead to 33-22. The Sycamores pulled within eight, but the Red Wolves managed to push the margin back out to double figures when a jumper by Ford made it 46-33 with 1:08 left in the half. The Scarlet and Black then took a 46-35 advantage into intermission.
A layup by Head at the 12:35 mark in the second half gave A-State its largest lead of the night, up 64-44, but Indiana State rallied to make it a four-point affair (76-72) on a trey by K'mani Doughty with 4:58 left. Julien and Ford Jr. answered with four straight to widen the gap, but the Sycamores responded to remain within two scores.
Jaden Daughtry, who scored a game-high 21 points, recorded a layup before Doughty pulled ISU within three on a trey with 44 seconds to go. Just over 30 seconds later, Julien beat the shot clock on what would be the final score of the night, cementing the Red Wolves' victory.
NEXT UP
A-State continues play in The Bahamas on Saturday, facing Rice. Tip-off against the Owls is slated for 6 p.m. CT on FloCollege, while the radio broadcast of the contest can be heard on the 95.3/96.9 The Ticket Radio Network and the Red Wolves mobile app.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the A-State men's basketball program, follow @AStateMB on Twitter/X and @astatemb on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateMB.
