HATTIESBURG, Miss. (2/15/24) – Arkansas State women's basketball (13-11, 6-7 SBC) engaged in a fierce defensive battle against Southern Miss (14-10, 7-6 SBC), but the Lady Eagles were too much as the Red Wolves fell 57-48 on Thursday night at Reed Green Coliseum.
 
Izzy Higginbottom and Wynter Rogers led the scoring effort for A-State, with both netting 11 points in the contest. Anna Griffin had an active day on the boards with 11 rebounds and finished with seven points.
 
As a team, the Scarlet and Black shot 15-of-51 (29 percent) from the field and 4-of-21 (19 percent) from 3-point range. Southern Miss won the turnover battle 24-15 and scored 27 points as a result.
 
The Lady Eagles jumped out to an early 11-5 advantage, but the Red Wolves responded with a 5-0 run to make it a one-point contest. Southern Miss quickly broke away once again, going on a 7-0 run that allowed them to close the quarter with a 22-17 advantage.
 
A-State outscored their opponent 7-2 and tied the game to open the second quarter. With 2:32 remaining, the game would enter a 23-minute delay after a skirmish that resulted in ejections for five players between both teams.
 
The Scarlet and Black received six free throw opportunities as a result and made five to claim their first lead of the ballgame. Wynter Rogers followed with a pair of three pointers as the Red Wolves went into the break with a 37-34 lead.
 
A-State shot 11-for-28 (39 percent) from the field, 4-for-12 (33 percent) from deep, and 11-for-14 (79 percent) from the charity stripe during the first half.
 
The Lady Eagles went on a 9-0 run that spanned most of the third quarter, jumping ahead 43-37. The Red Wolves did not make a basket until the 3:10 mark, but were able to cut into the deficit and go into the fourth down 49-46.
 
The game turned into a defensive slugfest from there, with both sides combining for 10 points. The Red Wolves made their only field goal of the quarter with 1:31 remaining as they fell by nine points.
 
NEXT UP
Arkansas State will head to the bayou to face Louisiana on Saturday, February 17 in Lafayette. 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.