JONESBORO, Ark. (12/12/24) – Taryn Todd's season-best performance and a second-half surged lifted the Arkansas State men's basketball team to an 83-79 win over UT Arlington Thursday night inside First National Bank Arena.
The Red Wolves (8-3) trailed at the half but outscored the Mavericks (4-6) 48-40 in the final 20 minutes to remain undefeated at home this season. Todd led the way with a game-high 23 points and career-best eight rebounds, while also handing out four assists without committing a turnover.
Joseph Pinion scored in double figures for the second night in a row with 16 points to go along with a career-high three steals and a pair of blocks. Kobe Julien added 14 points, 10 of which came at the charity stripe on 11 attempts. The Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year was also a force on the glass, grabbing seven rebounds and helping A-State outrebound UTA 36-33. Rashaud Marshall was the fourth Red Wolf in double digits, scoring 10 points.
A-State shot 40.4 percent (23-57) for the game, including a 52.2-percent mark in the second half (12-23), while going a season-best 31-for-42 at the free-throw line for a 73.8-percent mark. UTA was 28-of-49 (47.5 percent) from the field and 14-of-30 (46.7 percent) from 3-point range but made just 9-of-21 at the foul line.
UTA had four double-digit scorers, led by Jaden Wells with 19 points. Diante Smith added 15 off the bench, while Lance Ware and Raysean Seamster had 11 and 10, respectively.
The Mavericks got off to an early 5-0 lead before A-State got on the board with a Todd trey at the 17:39 mark. A Marshall putback gave the Scarlet and Black its first lead of the night, up 9-8, before UTA built an eight-point lead on a trey by Seamster that made it 24-16.
A seven-point swing pulled the Red Wolves back within one, and then a three by Pinion put A-State back ahead 35-34 with 1:33 left in the half. UTA answered with five points to end the first 20 minutes with a 39-35 edge.
The visitors maintained a one-score lead until Todd scored with 13:57 to play to make it 50-48 A-State. Three free throws by Derrian Ford made it 57-52 before a 6-0 stretch put UTA back ahead 58-57 with 10:40 left. Izaiyah Nelson scored inside to put the Red Wolves back ahead, sparking a 15-0 run that included a thunderous Todd dunk and made it 72-58 with 6:06 remaining.
UTA pulled back within single digits with under four minutes to play, but A-State continued to convert its foul shot opportunities, with all 11 of its points in the final six minutes coming at the charity stripe. Darius Burford and Wells hit treys late to make it a two-score game, but could not erase the deficit.
NEXT UP
A-State's final pre-conference test is next on the docket, as it travels to face preseason American Athletic Conference favorite UAB Sunday. Tip-off against the Blazers inside Bartow Arena is slated for 5 p.m. on ESPN+, while the radio broadcast can be heard on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network and the Red Wolves mobile app.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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